The first letter from New Spain
Subtitle: the lost petition of Cortés and his company June 20, 1519
By: by John F. Schwaller with Helen Nader
Contributors: Nader, Helen, 1936- author
Edition: First paperback edition.
Series: Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long series in Latin American and Latino art and culture; Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long series in Latin American and Latino art and culture
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 2015
Language: eng; spa
Number of pages: 296
ISBN-13: 9781477307632; 9780292756717
Copyright date: 2014
Subjects: History
Description: The 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, The First Letter from New Spain 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. The 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 — The First Letter from New Spain gives evidence of entrepreneurship and other overlooked traits that fueled the conquest--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Study in English; letter in English accompanied by a facsimile of the original in Spanish.
Table of contents: title: A synopsis of the conquest of Mexico / John F. Schwaller and Helen Nader; title: The Veracruz petition in historiographical context / John F. Schwaller; title: Description of the Veracruz petition / Helen Nader and John F. Schwaller; title: Facsimile, transcription, and translation of the Veracruz petition / Helen Nader and John F. Schwaller; title: The members of the company: a prosopographical essay / John F. Schwaller; title: Biographies of the signatories of the Veracruz petition / John F. Schwaller; title: Conclusions / John F. Schwaller; title: Appendix: Signatories of the 1520 Segura de la Frontera letter / Helen Nader.