The Siege of Tenochtitlan's Secret Weapon: Smallpox and Epidemics in the Conquest

The Tlaxcalan Exodus: Migration and Settlement in Spanish Texas

When the Spanish conquered Tenochtitlan, they did so with tens of thousands of Tlaxcalan allies. But what happened to those allies after the war? This episode traces the little-known story of Tlaxcalan colonists who migrated north into the arid frontier of Nueva España, settling in towns like San Esteban de la Nueva Tlaxcala and serving as buffers against hostile Chichimeca peoples. Lucas and Luna explore the terms of their collaboration—exemptions from tribute, the right to carry swords and ride horses—and how these privileges gradually eroded as the Spanish Crown tightened its grip. We discuss the founding of San Miguel de Aguayo in Nuevo León, the role of Tlaxcalan captains in pacifying the Gran Chichimeca, and the cultural hybridity that emerged as Tlaxcalans intermarried with local groups like the Guachichiles. Drawing on colonial records and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, we examine how a conquered people became colonizers themselves, and what that says about the messy, tangled nature of empire. #Tlaxcala #SanEstebanDeLaNuevaTlaxcala #ChichimecaWar #NuevaEspaña #ColonialMexico #SpanishTexas #SanMiguelDeAguayo #Guachichiles #LienzoDeTlaxcala #GranChichimeca #TlaxcalanSettlers #AlonsoDeLeón #CabezaDeVaca #IndiosConquistadores #ColonialMigration #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Siege of Tenochtitlan's Secret Weapon: Smallpox and Epidemics in the Conquest

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the devastating role of smallpox and other epidemics during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. They discuss how the introduction of Old World diseases like smallpox, measles, and typhus decimated the Indigenous population, with Tenochtitlan alone losing perhaps half its inhabitants during the 1520 smallpox outbreak. The conversation revisits key figures like Cuitláhuac and Cuauhtémoc, examines the Florentine Codex's accounts of the cocoliztli, and considers the broader impact of disease on the Aztec resistance. Lucas draws connections to later epidemics and the ongoing debate about intentional biological warfare, offering a nuanced look at how disease, not just military might, shaped the conquest's outcome. #Smallpox #Cocoliztli #Tenochtitlan #HernánCortés #Cuauhtémoc #Cuitláhuac #FlorentineCodex #BernardinoDeSahagún #NocheTriste #Tlatelolco #AztecEmpire #SpanishConquest #Epidemics #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory #BiologicalWarfare #Colonialism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Cortés's Horses: Terror Weapons of the Conquest

Horses were not just transportation for the Spanish conquistadors — they were psychological weapons that shattered indigenous armies. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Cortés deployed horses in Mesoamerica, the terror they inspired among Aztec and Tlaxcalan warriors who had never seen such animals, and the practical challenges of keeping horses alive on campaign. They discuss specific horses like Cortés's dark gelding El Morcillo and Pedro de Alvarado's chestnut mare, the tactical advantages of cavalry charges against massed infantry, and how indigenous forces eventually adapted by targeting horses in battle. The episode also covers the logistics of shipping horses across the Atlantic, the role of the farrier and horseshoes, and the cultural shock of the horse-and-rider centaur-like apparition. Drawing on Bernal Díaz del Castillo's account and the Florentine Codex, Lucas explains how horses turned the tide at key battles like Otumba and the siege of Tenochtitlan, and why Cortés himself considered them 'the greatest security for victory.' #Horses #Conquistadors #Cortés #Mesoamerica #Cavalry #BernalDíaz #FlorentineCodex #Otumba #Tenochtitlan #ElMorcillo #PedroDeAlvarado #Tlaxcala #Aztecs #HernánCortés #MilitaryHistory #PsychologicalWarfare #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Alvarado's Leap: Myth of the Toboso Massacre

In 1522, a year after the fall of Tenochtitlan, Pedro de Alvarado—the brutal conquistador known as Tonatiuh or 'Sun'—led a punitive expedition into the Mixe region of Oaxaca. At a river called the Toboso, according to legend, Alvarado's horse stumbled and he was pinned beneath it, facing a swarm of Mixe warriors. In desperation, he supposedly used his lance as a vaulting pole to leap to safety—a feat immortalized as the 'Salto de Alvarado.' But was it real, or a myth crafted to burnish his reputation? This episode examines the historical and archaeological evidence, the Mixe perspective, and how the story evolved over centuries. We also explore Alvarado's earlier atrocities in Tenochtitlan and Guatemala, his relationship with Cortés, and the long shadow of Spanish violence in Oaxaca. Featuring the Florentine Codex, the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, and recent scholarship, we separate fact from folklore in one of the conquest's most dramatic tales. #PedroDeAlvarado #SaltoDeAlvarado #Mixe #Oaxaca #TobosoRiver #SpanishConquest #Conquistadors #Mesoamerica #Tonatiuh #FlorentineCodex #LienzoDeTlaxcala #Guatemala #Tenochtitlan #Cortés #MythvsHistory #IndigenousResistance #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Genocide of the Arawaks: Columbus's First Contact

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the devastating first encounters between Christopher Columbus and the Taíno people of Hispaniola. They discuss the initial friendly exchanges, the imposition of the encomienda system, the brutal gold quotas, and the catastrophic population collapse from violence, starvation, and disease. Focusing on figures like Guacanagarix, Caonabo, and Anacaona, and drawing from Bartolomé de las Casas's accounts, they examine how Spanish policies turned a once-thriving society into a near-extinct one within decades. This episode sets the stage for understanding the patterns of conquest that would later unfold in Mesoamerica. #Arawak #Taíno #Columbus #Hispaniola #Guacanagarix #Caonabo #Anacaona #BartolomeDeLasCasas #Encomienda #GoldQuota #Genocide #1492 #NewWorld #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory #Conquistadors #Mesoamerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]