The conquest of Mexico began when Hernando Cortes first arrived in South America. When he started his first movement of the conquest, some people looked at him as a great leader or a God and others saw him as a simple man. His conquest brought the Spaniards and Indians happiness and sorrow at the same time. The differences between the Spaniards and the Indian accounts were vast and varied from writer to writer, for a man's deeds could be bad and good.

The differences that the reader encounters within a Spanish point of view are between Diaz's and Tapia's descriptions of Cortes' leadership and personality. Diaz describes this conquest as being more religious as they all commanded themselves to God before going to war. He quotes Cortes as saying "we shall conquer through the holy cross" (page 105). Diaz was a loyal soldier to Cortes and addresses to him...