The Enslaved Africans Who Fought in Cortés's Army

The Enslaved Africans Who Fought in Cortés's Army

When we talk about the conquest of the Aztec Empire, we usually focus on Cortés, his Spanish soldiers, and his Indigenous allies like the Tlaxcalans. But there's a group that's almost invisible in the popular story: the enslaved Africans who marched with Cortés from Cuba, fought in battles, and later shaped colonial Mexico. In this episode, we follow figures like Juan Garrido, a West African conquistador who was the first to plant wheat in the Americas, and the mysterious 'Black conquistador' Estebanico, who scouted for Cortés in Michoacán. We explore how they came to be in Spain's New World ventures, why they fought, and what life was like for them after the war. Drawing on records from the Archivo General de Indias and accounts by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, we confront the uncomfortable fact that enslaved and free people of African descent were both victims and agents of empire. We also look at the rebellion of 1537 in Mexico City, where enslaved Africans plotted to overthrow Spanish rule, and the legacy of Afro-Mexicans in modern Mexican identity. It's a story that forces us to rethink who really conquered Mexico. #AfroMexicanHistory #JuanGarrido #Estebanico #Cortés #ConquestOfMexico #EnslavedAfricans #BlackConquistadors #NewSpain #ArchivoGeneralDeIndias #BernalDíaz #Michoacán #Cuba #Tlaxcalans #MexicoCity #1537Rebellion #History #FexingoHistory #Mesoamerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Malintzin: The Translator Who Made the Conquest Possible

This episode tells the story of Malintzin — also known to history as La Malinche, Doña Marina, and Malinalli — the Nahua woman who became Hernán Cortés's translator, strategist, and diplomatic mastermind during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. We explore her early life as the daughter of a nobleman sold into slavery, her linguistic gifts that enabled her to speak both Nahuatl and Maya, and her pivotal role in forming the alliance with Tlaxcala, the massacre at Cholula, and the negotiations with Moctezuma. We examine how Malintzin navigated a world of violence and shifting loyalties, and why she remains one of the most controversial figures in Mexican history — seen by some as a traitor and by others as a survivor who made impossible choices. Drawing on the Florentine Codex, Bernal Díaz del Castillo's True History, and recent scholarship by Camilla Townsend, we separate myth from evidence and consider what Malintzin's actions meant for indigenous people then and now. A nuanced look at the woman at the center of the conquest. #Malintzin #LaMalinche #HernánCortés #AztecEmpire #SpanishConquest #Nahuatl #FlorentineCodex #BernalDíazdelCastillo #Tlaxcala #CholulaMassacre #Moctezuma #DoñaMarina #CamillaTownsend #IndigenousHistory #Mesoamerica #MexicanHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Aztec Atlatl: The Spear-Thrower That Defied Cortés

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna examine the atlatl, the Aztec spear-thrower that proved devastatingly effective against Spanish conquistadors during the conquest of Mexico. Lucas explains how this ancient weapon, capable of piercing steel armor at over 100 meters, became a symbol of indigenous resistance. He discusses its construction from tropical hardwoods, its incorporation of obsidian blades and poison-tipped darts, and how Aztec warriors trained from childhood to master it. The conversation covers key battles where the atlatl turned the tide, including the Noche Triste and the Siege of Tenochtitlan, and explores why it was arguably more dangerous to the Spanish than the feared macuahuitl. Lucas also addresses the weapon's decline after the conquest and its modern legacy in Mesoamerican martial arts. Listeners gain a fresh perspective on the technological and tactical realities behind the fall of the Aztec Empire. #atlatl #AztecWeapon #Mesoamerica #HernanCortes #Tenochtitlan #NocheTriste #Obsidian #PoisonDarts #AztecWarfare #ConquestOfMexico #IndigenousResistance #SiegeOfTenochtitlan #Nahuatl #FlorentineCodex #BernalDiaz #History #FexingoHistory #MilitaryHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

La Noche Triste: The Night Cortés Nearly Lost Everything

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic events of La Noche Triste, the Night of Sorrows, when Hernán Cortés and his forces were nearly wiped out fleeing Tenochtitlan on June 30, 1520. They discuss the pivotal role of Malintzin (La Malinche) in navigating the escape, the tactical decisions that led to the disaster, and how the Aztec resistance under Cuitláhuac capitalized on the chaos. The conversation also touches on the legend of the 'Tree of the Night of Sorrows' in Tacuba, the lost treasure of Moctezuma, and the aftermath that allowed Cortés to regroup and ultimately conquer the Aztec Empire. Specific figures mentioned include Cortés, Malintzin, Cuitláhuac, Cuauhtémoc, and Bernal Díaz del Castillo. Key concepts covered include the causeways of Tenochtitlan, the Tacuba retreat, and the psychological impact on both sides. #LaNocheTriste #NightOfSorrows #HernanCortes #Malintzin #Cuitlahuac #Cuauhtemoc #Tenochtitlan #AztecEmpire #BernalDiazDelCastillo #Tacuba #Causeways #ConquestOfMexico #Mesoamerica #FexingoHistory #History #SpanishConquest #MoctezumasTreasure #TreeOfSorrows Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Cempoala Alliance: Cortés's First Indigenous Army

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Hernán Cortés built his first major indigenous alliance with the Totonac city-state of Cempoala in 1519. They discuss the Totonac leader, who the Spanish called the Fat Cacique, his strategic rebellion against Aztec tribute demands, and how this partnership provided Cortés with thousands of warriors, supplies, and a crucial foothold on the Gulf Coast. The conversation also covers the Cempoala pyramid complex, the Totonac language, and the role of the Cempoala alliance in the Battle of Cempoala and the subsequent march to Tlaxcala. Lucas highlights the political calculations of the Fat Cacique and how the alliance reshaped the conquest's trajectory, contrasting it with later betrayals. This episode sheds light on a pivotal yet often overlooked turning point that enabled Cortés's campaign. #Cempoala #Totonac #FatCacique #Cortés #HernánCortés #AztecEmpire #Mesoamerica #ConquestOfMexico #1519 #IndigenousAlliance #BattleOfCempoala #TotonacLanguage #GulfCoast #Malintzin #Tlaxcala #Mexica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]