COLLECTION GUIDE
Prepared by Ruth Olivera, March, 1981.
The Cortés Collection consists of the following documents:
1. An original letter bearing the signature of Hernando Cortés dated September 9, 1521, just 27 days after the capture of Tenochtitlán (Mexico City), addressed to García de Lerena in Santiago, Cuba. It is reputed to be the earliest letter sent from the mainland of the New World bearing Cortés' signature. 1 leaf, 4º.
2. The Ordenanzas, the first written code of laws formed in New Spain, compiled by Cortés and autographed with his signature. It was issued in Temistlan on March 20, 1524, three years after the conquest of Mexico, at a time when the influx of Spanish immigrants and adventurers had caused the springing up of settlements in various parts of the recently discovered and conquered but not wholly pacified lands. The contents reveal a humane side of the character of Cortés as the laws are concerned not only with the security of the Spanish residents but also with the welfare of the Indians. 8 leaves, 4º.
3. An 18th century manuscript copy of the 1524 laws of Cortés, along with laws of 1525. These appear in modernized Spanish. There is no indication of their provenance. 27 leaves, 4º.
These documents have been deposited in the vault of the Howard Tilton
Memorial Library Special Collections. Copies of the original are on file
in the manuscripts collection of the Latin American Library in a box
labeled "Cortés Collection #27. Copies". These consist of the
following:
For the Cortés Letter:
2 translations, several photocopies (250 mm negatives and 2 exhibition
captions which are in the Accession file)
For the Ordenanzas:
2 Sets of 8½ x 11 contact prints. (One of the sets of photographs is bound
with copies of a map of Tenochtitlan, of a map of the route of Cortés from
Cuba, and of a map of North America)
1 set of negatives
2 transciptions, one in the original Spanish and one in more modern
Spanish.
1 translation by Otis H. Gree of the Department of Spanish, University of
Pennsylvania. Also included with the translation are remarks on the
history of the document.
For the 18th century document:
1 set of Photocopies.
It should be noted that the 1524 Cortés laws have been published: Ordenanzas de buen gobierno dadas por Hernando Cortés para los vezinos y moradores de la Nueva España, 1524, Madrid, J. Porrúa Turanzas, 1968. They are catalogued in the Latin American Library under the number: RBC/972.02/M611o/LAL. They also appear in Cortés, Cartas y Documentos, Edit. Porrúa, 1963, pp.347-353, with the following number: F/1230/.C842/LAL.
The following documents related to Cortés have not been included in this
collection:
Copies of hitherto unknown Cortés merced, dated Nov. 3, 1525,
contained in Leg.64, Exps. 30 and 31 of the Vicereal and Ecclesiastical
Mexican Collection.
Early undated manuscript copy of the last will and testament of Cortés
drawn up in Seville on Oct. 11, 1547, by Melchor Mojica. It is catalogued
in the Latin American Library under the number: RBC/L921/C828/LAL.
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Last updated: October 31, 1996