

Often enough, the best start to a new venture, a new school year, a new marriage, a new career, a new journey of any kind, requires burning the ships. Step into a new day.” 2 Getting the Best Start The lyrics ask,Īnd then draws on sentiment made famous by Hernán Cortés: “Burn the ships. “Burn the Ships,” performed by Australian duo For King & Country, is a song about moving into the future. There are other phrases for the same idea, such as “crossing the Rubicon,” “the die is cast,” or “burning one’s bridges.” The message of all these idioms is that we must forget the past and move into the future. This sent a clear message to his men: There is no turning back. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the New World with 600 men and, upon arrival, made history by destroying his ships. It does not store any personal data.With the arrival of COVID-19, and the resulting disruption it has caused in our families, careers, and plans for the future, we hope this article will provide inspiration as we put the pandemic behind us and walk the path that God has set before us.-Editors The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin.

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These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win, essential to success. The city was officially renamed Mexico City, and the conversion was set to begin.Įvery person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. The conquest officially ended when the Spaniards captured Cuauhtemoc, who had replaced Montezuma as the head of the city in August of 1521. Tenochtitlan was an island city, which greatly aided Cortés. How did Hernan Cortes end the conquest of Mexico?

Moreover, the concept of “burning the boats” is something that goes back to ancient times, as noted by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich: A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the battlefield. Where did the idea of burning the boats come from? He wanted his men to realize that they had no opportunity to retreat, so they had to give this fight everything they had. Why did Hernan Cortes order his men to burn the boats?Īccording to legend, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés issued a rather interesting order to his men as they began their conquest of the Aztec empire in 1519. He also helped colonize Cuba and became a governor of New Spain. Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador, or conqueror, best remembered for conquering the Aztec empire in 1521 and claiming Mexico for Spain. What positive things did Hernan Cortes do? Where did Hernán Cortés burn the ships?Ĭortés Burns His Boats He had not yet seen the magical city of Tenochtitlán, but he knew it was there, 200 miles away. When Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519, he sank his own ships to ensure his crew would follow him inland. The expedition ultimately destroyed the Aztec Empire and began the long and often brutal process of colonizing Mexico. There, eager to march inland to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Cortés destroyed 10 of his 11 ships, cutting off his men’s only hope of retreat and leaving them with no option but to head inland.
