Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
The Mesoamerican Ballgame: Sport, Ritual, and Cosmic Struggle
Season 3 Episode 121
Long before the conquistadors arrived, the peoples of Mesoamerica played a game that was far more than sport. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Death of Cuauhtémoc: Aztec Emperor Tortured and Hanged
Season 3 Episode 120
After the fall of Tenochtitlan, the last Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc was taken captive by Cortés and held for years. This episode examines the final yea…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Forgotten Victims: African Slaves in the Conquest of Mexico
Season 3 Episode 119
This episode shifts focus from the well-known Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous allies to the hundreds of African slaves and free black men who fo…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Mita System: Inca Forced Labor Under Spanish Rule
Season 3 Episode 118
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the mita system, the Inca tradition of mandatory public service that the Spanish adapted into a harsh forced …
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Maguey Plant: Aztec Gift of Pulque, Fiber, and Sustenance
Season 3 Episode 117
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the profound importance of the maguey plant in Aztec society. From the fermented drink pulque, reserved for t…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Requerimiento: Spain's Legal Farce of Conquest
Season 3 Episode 116
Before the conquistadors drew their swords, they were supposed to read a document aloud — in Spanish — to people who didn't understand it. This was t…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Encomienda System: Legalized Slavery in New Spain
Season 3 Episode 115
In this episode of The Conquistadors, Lucas and Luna explore the encomienda system, the legal framework that bound indigenous people to Spanish colon…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Tlaxcalan After the Siege: Allies, Settlers, and the Cost of Conquest
Season 3 Episode 114
The Tlaxcalans were indispensable to Cortés's victory, but what happened to them after Tenochtitlan fell? This episode follows the Tlaxcalan allies t…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
Cempoala's Cacique Gordo: The Totonac Revolt Against Aztec Rule
Season 3 Episode 113
Before Cortés ever set foot in Tenochtitlan, he forged a crucial alliance with the Totonac people of Cempoala. This episode explores the revolt led b…
1 month, 3 weeks ago
The Cazonci's Last Stand: Purepecha Resistance to Nuño de Guzmán
Season 3 Episode 112
In 1529, just years after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Purepecha Empire under Tangáxoan II faced a new threat: Nuño de Guzmán, a ruthless conquistad…
1 month, 3 weeks ago