In the spring of 1541, a Spanish army led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado rode east out of New Mexico in search of golden cities. What they found instead was West Texas.

This episode traces one of the most ambitious—and disastrous—expeditions in New World history, from the jungles of Mexico to the staked plains of the Llano Estacado. You'll meet Coronado, the ambitious conquistador chasing legacy. El Turco, the captive turned con man who spun a lie bright enough to lure 2,000 men into the wild. And Isopete, the rival guide who told the truth no one wanted to hear.

Through burned pueblos, desperate councils, and storms that shook the earth, this is the true story of how a lie shaped a landscape—and left behind something far more powerful than gold.

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Music by Gentry Ford and the Homeless Lobos.

Sponsor: Ghost Coast Surf Co., show off your West Texas pride with hats, hoodies, and t-shirts. Out here, surf is what you make it.

Credits:

• Writer: Jody L. Slaughter
• Producer: Jody L. Slaughter
• Editor: Jody L. Slaughter
• Engineer: Jody L. Slaughter