The Totonac: Cortés's First Allies on the Gulf Coast

The Encomienda System: Legalized Slavery in New Spain

In this episode of The Conquistadors, Lucas and Luna explore the encomienda system, the legal framework that bound indigenous people to Spanish colonists in New Spain. They trace its origins from the medieval Reconquista to its implementation in Mesoamerica after the fall of Tenochtitlan, examining how figures like Cortés and later the crown used it to reward conquistadors. The conversation covers the brutal labor conditions, the role of the Requerimiento, the legal challenges by friars like Bartolomé de las Casas, and the New Laws of 1542 that attempted—and largely failed—to reform the system. They discuss specific encomiendas, the disruption of native communities, and the lasting demographic collapse. This episode provides a nuanced look at how Spanish colonial rule functioned on the ground, balancing crown intentions, settler greed, and indigenous resistance. #Encomienda #NewSpain #BartolomeDeLasCasas #Requerimiento #NewLaws1542 #Cortes #Mesoamerica #ColonialMexico #IndigenousSlavery #Repartimiento #SpanishColonialism #BurgosLaws #ValladolidDebate #Tasas #Cacique #Conquistadors #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Tlaxcalan After the Siege: Allies, Settlers, and the Cost of Conquest

The Tlaxcalans were indispensable to Cortés's victory, but what happened to them after Tenochtitlan fell? This episode follows the Tlaxcalan allies through the later decades of the 16th century, as they received encomiendas and privileges from the Spanish crown — while also becoming instruments of colonial expansion into the north. We look at the Tlaxcalan settlements in San Miguel de Allende, the Chichimeca frontier, and the bitter irony of their own descendants being drawn into the same systems of tribute and labor they helped impose. Drawing on the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, indigenous legal petitions, and the Relaciones Geográficas, we explore how the Tlaxcalans navigated their new place in the colonial order — as conquerors, as subjects, and as a people whose alliance bought survival but not equality. #Tlaxcala #TlaxcalanAllies #ConquestOfMexico #ColonialMexico #LienzoDeTlaxcala #ChichimecaWar #SanMiguelDeAllende #Encomienda #IndigenousAgency #Cortés #Mesoamerica #NahuaHistory #RelacionesGeográficas #16thCentury #ColonialSettlers #MexicanHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Cempoala's Cacique Gordo: The Totonac Revolt Against Aztec Rule

Before Cortés ever set foot in Tenochtitlan, he forged a crucial alliance with the Totonac people of Cempoala. This episode explores the revolt led by the Cacique Gordo, a shrewd leader who saw the Spanish as a tool to break free from Aztec tribute demands. We delve into the Totonac city-state's prosperity, their resentment of Moctezuma's tax collectors, and the pivotal Battle of Cempoala where Cortés proved his military worth. Discover how the Totonac alliance provided Cortés with hundreds of tameme porters, vital intelligence, and a base at Villa Rica de la Veracruz. We also examine the aftermath: the Totonac's disillusionment as the Spanish revealed their own greed, and the lasting impact on indigenous alliances that shaped the conquest of Mexico. #Cempoala #CaciqueGordo #Totonac #Cortés #Aztec #Veracruz #VillaRica #tameme #tribute #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #IndigenousAlliance #Moctezuma #BernalDíaz #BattleOfCempoala #History #FexingoHistory #ColonialMexico Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Cazonci's Last Stand: Purepecha Resistance to Nuño de Guzmán

In 1529, just years after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Purepecha Empire under Tangáxoan II faced a new threat: Nuño de Guzmán, a ruthless conquistador who would stop at nothing to claim their lands. This episode explores the brutal conquest of Michoacán, from the initial diplomacy at Tzintzuntzan to the Cazonci's execution, the destruction of Purepecha temples, and the forced resettlement of survivors. We examine Guzmán's motivations, the role of the Relación de Michoacán as a historical source, and the legacy of resistance that shaped western Mexico. Lucas and Luna discuss how Purepecha military strength—which had famously humbled the Aztecs—was undone by disease, betrayal, and Spanish steel. A little-known chapter of the conquest, this story highlights the complexity of indigenous survival and colonial violence. #Purepecha #Tarascans #Cazonci #TangáxoanII #NuñodeGuzmán #Michoacán #Tzintzuntzan #ConquestOfMexico #RelacióndeMichoacán #IndigenousResistance #ColonialViolence #1529 #Cocoliztli #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #FexingoHistory #History #TeachingHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Purepecha Empire That Defeated the Aztecs

In this episode of The Conquistadors, Lucas and Luna explore the Purepecha Empire (also known as the Tarascans), the only Mesoamerican state that successfully resisted Aztec expansion. They discuss the empire's origins under the legendary leader Tariácuri, its capital Tzintzuntzan, and its unique political structure. The hosts examine Purepecha military technology—including copper and bronze weapons like the ichcahuipilli and macuahuitl—and the decisive battles that repelled Aztec incursions. They also cover the empire's encounter with the Spanish under Cristóbal de Olid and Nuño de Guzmán, the betrayal of Tangáxoan II, and the controversial Relación de Michoacán. The episode highlights how Purepecha metallurgy, centralized governance, and strategic autonomy set them apart from their neighbors, and reflects on the irony that an empire that never fell to the Mexica was ultimately conquered by a handful of Spaniards. #Purepecha #Tarascans #Mesoamerica #Tariácuri #Tzintzuntzan #TangáxoanII #NuñodeGuzmán #RelacióndeMichoacán #Ichcahuipilli #Macuahuitl #CopperWeapons #AztecResistance #PreColumbian #CristóbaldeOlid #Conquistadors #Pátzcuaro #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]