To understand the letter, one must know that Cortés was in a precarious legal position. He had led an unauthorized expedition to Mexico, defying the orders of the Governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez.
The letter serves as a masterwork of rhetorical self-justification. Cortés portrays his actions not as a mutiny, but as a divinely sanctioned mission to expand the Spanish Crown and the Catholic faith. To understand the letter, one must know that
By writing directly to King Charles V, Cortés bypassed his immediate superiors to secure royal favor. Key Events Described in the Second Letter Cortés portrays his actions not as a mutiny,
Cortés describes destroying his own fleet to prevent his men from retreating, a symbolic act of "conquer or die". The second letter is particularly famous because it
The second letter is particularly famous because it covers the peak of the initial encounter. Major highlights include:
It recounts how the Spaniards turned native rivals of the Aztecs into allies, a move essential to the eventual conquest. Segunda carta de relación: AP® Spanish Literature Review