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The Other Conquistador: Alvarado's Massacre and the Maya Resistance
Description
While Cortés conquered the Aztecs, his lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado unleashed a brutal campaign against the Maya of Guatemala. This episode follows Alvarado's 1524 invasion, from the infamous massacre at the Toxcatl festival in Tenochtitlan—which nearly derailed Cortés—to his bloody subjugation of the K'iche' Maya. We explore the weaponry, tactics, and politics of the Maya kingdoms, including the K'iche' capital Q'umarkaj, the Kaqchikel alliance that turned sour, and the legendary Maya leader Tecún Umán, who is said to have wounded Alvarado before falling in battle. We also examine the controversial legacy of Alvarado's rule in Guatemala and the myths that surround his red hair and fiery temper. This episode sheds light on a lesser-known but equally devastating chapter of the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica.