{"product_id":"the-first-letter-from-new-spain-the-lost-petition-of-cortes-and-his-company-june-20-1519-paperback","title":"The First Letter from New Spain: The Lost Petition of Cortés and His Company, June 20, 1519 - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJohn F. Schwaller\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eHelen Nader\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe founding of la Villa Rica de la Veracruz (the rich town of the True Cross) is prominently mentioned in histories of the conquest of Mexico, but scant primary documentation of the provocative act exists. During a research session at the Spanish archives, when John Schwaller discovered an early-sixteenth-century letter from Veracruz signed by the members of Cortés's company, he knew he had found a trove of historical details. Providing an accessible, accurate translation of this pivotal correspondence, along with in-depth examinations of its context and significance, \u003ci\u003eThe First Letter from New Spain\u003c\/i\u003e gives all readers access to the first document written from the mainland of North America by any European, and the only surviving original document from the first months of the conquest.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe timing of Cortés's Good Friday landing, immediately before the initial assault on the Aztec Empire, enhances the significance of this work. Though the expedition was conducted under the authority of Diego Velázquez, governor of Cuba, the letter reflects an attempt to break ties with Velázquez and form a strategic alliance with Carlos V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. Brimming with details about the events surrounding Veracruz's inception and accompanied by mini-biographies of 318 signers of the document-socially competitive men who risked charges of treason by renouncing Velázquez-\u003ci\u003eThe First Letter from New Spain\u003c\/i\u003e gives evidence of entrepreneurship and other overlooked traits that fueled the conquest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn F. Schwaller is a distinguished historian of colonial Latin America. He has served as Director of the Academy of American Franciscan History at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California; Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Montana, Missoula; Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean at the University of Minnesota, Morris; and President of SUNY Potsdam. His previous books include \u003ci\u003eThe History of the Catholic Church in Latin America: From Conquest to Revolution and Beyond\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHelen Nader was Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Arizona. She was the author of numerous books, including \u003ci\u003ePower and Gender in Renaissance Spain: Eight Women of the Mendoza Family, 1450-1650\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLiberty in Absolutist Spain: The Habsburg Sale of Towns, 1516-1700\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 316\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 01, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52624560128307,"sku":"9781477307632","price":60.91,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/ZzNyMjNkNGN0c2ZoWHF1c3lFRm5iQT09.webp?v=1762009141","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/the-first-letter-from-new-spain-the-lost-petition-of-cortes-and-his-company-june-20-1519-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}