Notice the spelling of Cortes as Cortez is  incorrect. Hernan Cortes was  a Spanish explorer who was not really a good guy. He killed  Montezuma, a native american leader. Hernan Cortes set sail with  2500 settlers aboard on November 1, 1504 on a ship that was  commanded by Alfonso Quintero. Hernan also put a big impact on  Native Americans. He destroyed their villages, lives, and culture;  he enslaved them.