10:30 am

Henrietta M. Christmas will present “Walking in Hernan Cortes’s Footsteps From Vera Cruz to Mexico City 1519-2019.” Hernan Cortes set out in February 1519 for what we know as Mexico City today with about 500+ men, a few women, slaves, Taino Indians from Cuba and 16-20 horses.  The entrada towards Mexico City, the places he conquered while exploring in the name of the Spanish Monarchs will be explored.  The first wave of conquistadores were those who would later hold lands (encomiendas), leave descendants and make Mexico their home.  This is a modern-day trip at what Cortes might have seen 500 years ago. Henrietta Martinez Christmas, a native New Mexican, a well-known genealogical and historical researcher; she descends from eleven of the soldiers that came with Oñate in 1598.  She has written several books, which relate to New Mexico’s small towns and history and over 160 articles about New Mexico’s Colonial Families. She is a long-time member and the current President of New Mexico Genealogical Society.