Hernán Cortes, marques del Valle de Oaxaca, was born around 1485 in Medelli­n, Spain, and helped advance Spain's position in North America in the 1500s. He came from a lesser noble family in Spain. Some reports indicate that he studied at the University of Salamanca for a time. In 1504, Cortes left Spain to seek his fortune in New World. He traveled to the island of Santo Domingo, or Hispaniola. Settling in the new town of Azua, Cortes served as a notary for several years. He joined an expedition of Cuba led by Diego Velazquez in 1511. There, Cortes worked in the civil government and served as the mayor of Santiago for a timeIn 1518, Cortes was to command his own expedition to Mexico, but Velázquez canceled it. Cortes ignored the order and set sail for Mexico with more than 500 men and 11 ships that fall. In February 1519, the expedition reached the Mexican coast.