Jack Maddox examines how Hernando de Soto's 1539 expedition through the American Southeast unleashed a devastating biological catastrophe. Exploring malaria, strategic violence, and the collapse of chiefdoms like Coosa, this episode traces how disease—not Spanish steel—reshaped an entire continent, killing millions and erasing civilizations before English colonizers ever arrived.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.