The Encomienda System: Legalized Slavery in New Spain

The Forgotten Victims: African Slaves in the Conquest of Mexico

This episode shifts focus from the well-known Spanish conquistadors and Indigenous allies to the hundreds of African slaves and free black men who fought in the conquest of Mexico. Lucas and Luna examine the little-known story of Juan Garrido, a free black conquistador who accompanied Cortés and later wrote a petition listing his services. They discuss the role of African auxiliaries in the siege of Tenochtitlan, the first black slaves brought to the mainland, and how their presence complicates the narrative of European vs. Indigenous conflict. The episode draws on primary sources like the Florentine Codex and Garrido's own words, revealing a multi-ethnic conquest that historians are only beginning to fully explore. It also touches on the early colonial caste system and the gradual erasure of African contributions from the historical record. #AfricanSlaves #ConquestOfMexico #JuanGarrido #BlackConquistadors #AfroMexicans #Tenochtitlan #HernanCortes #FlorentineCodex #NewSpain #Slavery #ColonialLatinAmerica #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory #HiddenHistories #AfricanDiaspora #Conquistadors #RaceInHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Mita System: Inca Forced Labor Under Spanish Rule

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 labor regime. They trace its origins under the Inca empire, where communities contributed labor for state projects like road building and farming on state lands. Then they examine how the Spanish conquistadors, particularly under Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, transformed the mita into a system of exploitation for silver mining at Potosí and mercury mining at Huancavelica. The hosts discuss the devastating human cost—entire villages depopulated, families separated, and the collapse of traditional agriculture. They also touch on indigenous resistance, including flight to remote regions and rebellions like that of Túpac Amaru II. The episode draws on colonial records, the chronicles of Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, and modern historical analysis to show how the mita became a cornerstone of colonial extraction that reshaped Andean society for centuries. #Mita #Inca #SpanishColonialism #Potosí #Huancavelica #FranciscoDeToledo #ForcedLabor #SilverMining #MercuryMining #Andes #TúpacAmaruII #FelipeGuamanPoma #ColonialPeru #ViceroyaltyOfPeru #IndigenousResistance #History #FexingoHistory #Mesoamerica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Maguey Plant: Aztec Gift of Pulque, Fiber, and Sustenance

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the profound importance of the maguey plant in Aztec society. From the fermented drink pulque, reserved for the elderly and pregnant women, to the thorn-studded sacrificial rituals and the versatile fibers used for clothing and paper, maguey was woven into daily life, religion, and economy. They discuss the goddess Mayahuel, the myth of her tragic love with Quetzalcoatl, and the archaeological evidence from Teotihuacan's murals depicting pulque. They also touch on the colonial era, when maguey cultivation expanded for pulque production, and the resilience of the plant in modern Mexico. This episode offers a fresh angle on Mesoamerican culture, moving beyond the conquest narrative to highlight a botanical cornerstone of pre-Columbian life. #Maguey #Pulque #Mayahuel #Aztec #Mesoamerica #Teotihuacan #Quetzalcoatl #Mexica #Octli #Agave #BernardinoDeSahagun #FlorentineCodex #Nahuatl #PreColumbian #AztecReligion #AztecEconomy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Requerimiento: Spain's Legal Farce of Conquest

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 the Requerimiento, a 1513 legal statement declaring that if Indigenous peoples didn't submit to the Pope and the Spanish Crown, they could be violently subjugated 'with all the war that we can make.' In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the history of this bizarre ritual: its origins in the Requerimiento of 1513 written by jurist Juan López de Palacios Rubios, its use by Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, the accounts of Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Bartolomé de las Casas, and the lasting scandal of a legal document designed to justify conquest. They explore how the Requerimiento was read on beaches, from horseback, even at night to sleeping villages — and how its absurdity horrified some Spaniards while enabling atrocities. A deep dive into the legal fiction that underpinned the Spanish Empire's moral crisis. #Requerimiento #SpanishConquest #HernanCortes #FranciscoPizarro #BartolomeDeLasCasas #BernalDiazDelCastillo #Mesoamerica #JustWar #ColonialLaw #JuanLopezDePalaciosRubios #IndigenousRights #ValladolidDebate #NewSpain #Conquistadors #LegalFiction #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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]