Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz

E69759

Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz was the first Spanish settlement on the mainland of the Americas, established on the Gulf Coast of present-day Mexico as a base for the conquest of the Aztec Empire.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Spanish colonial settlement
historical city
appliesToJurisdiction Spanish Crown
associatedWith Aztec Empire
Spanish conquest of Mexico
Tenochtitlan
continent North America
coordinateRoleWith Cortés expedition to Mexico
country Viceroyalty of New Spain
dissolutionOrAbandonment relocated and effectively superseded by the later port city of Veracruz
economicActivity initial staging of trade and supplies
establishedUnder authority of King Charles I of Spain
followedBy city of Veracruz
foundedBy Hernán Cortés
founder Hernán Cortés
governmentForm Spanish colonial municipal government
hasPart cabildo (town council)
hasRole base for the conquest of the Aztec Empire
military base
port of entry
heritageStatus early colonial site in Mexican history
historicalRegion Mesoamerica
inception 1519
languageUsed Nahuatl
Spanish
legalStatus recognized municipality under the Spanish Crown
locatedIn Gulf Coast of Mexico
present-day Mexico
locatedInAdministrativeTerritory Veracruz
locatedOn Gulf of Mexico
militaryFunction mustering point for expedition against Tenochtitlan
namedAfter Vera Cruz
the True Cross
partOf Spanish Empire
Spanish colonization of the Americas
conquest of the Aztec Empire
politicalStatus cabecera (head town)
municipality
precededBy temporary beach camp at San Juan de Ulúa
presentLocationCorrespondsTo near modern Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
purpose secure political legitimacy for Cortés independent of the governor of Cuba
serve as logistical base for inland campaigns
religion Roman Catholicism
significantEvent election of Hernán Cortés as captain general and justicia mayor
foundation of the first Spanish municipality on the mainland of the Americas
scuttling of Cortés’s ships nearby
timePeriod early 16th century

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Hernán Cortés
founded
Quiahuiztlán
near

Please wait…