These five letters, written by the Spanish conqueror, Hernando Cortes, to the Emperor Charles V of Spain between 1519 and 1526, record the earliest discoveries of mainland Mexico, and describe the Spanish invasion and conquest of Montezuma's empire through the eyes of the conqueror.

These five letters by the Spanish conqueror, Hernando Cortes, were written to the Emperor Charles V of Spain between 1519 and 1526. Now translated into English, they describe the Spanish invasion of Mexico and the conquest of Montezuma's empire through the eyes of the conqueror, and document the final meeting between Cortes and Montezuma. The earliest discoveries of mainland Mexico, the perilous trek into hostile country, the capture of the Aztec capital, the extension of Cortes's power throughout Mexico, the expedition to Honduras, and the organization and ordering of the Spanish empire in the new world are recorded here.