Today's episode is an interview with Camilla Townsend about her new book The Aztec Myths.

In it we discuss the origins of the Aztec, the workings of their calendar, the codices which provide us with a vital insight into the Aztec world, and how Aztec religious practices were impacted by Christianity after the conquest.

The book can be pre-ordered here:

https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/the-aztec-myths-a-guide-to-the-ancient-stories-and-legends-hardcover

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By 1550 the slave trade had begun to form an important part of Spain's imperial economy, and increasing numbers of people were being imported to work in its plantations and mines.

Where there are slaves however, there is resistance and in Venezuela a group managed to break free and form their independent settlement. This is the story of Miguel de Buria and battle against the Spanish

Kevin's Occasional Pod - https://kevinsoccasionalpods.com/

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After wasting a lot of time and money following rumours of riches and precious metals, De Coronado had a choice to make - go home, try to make the best of what he had found, or set off on another wild goose chase.

The link to the article about the new research into De Coronado's route:

https://knowridge.com/2024/02/scientists-discover-possible-coronado-expedition-relic-in-texas-panhandle/

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De Coronado set off to try and find Cibola following de Nizza's dubious directions.

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El Dorado wasn't the only mythical city which was inspiring the Spanish to march out into the unknown. Somewhere beyond the deserts of northern Mexico, it was thought that there was another.

Today we follow de Coronado as he begins his search for the golden city of Cibola, and reunite with Estevanico who we met on the Narvaez expedition.

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Today we have a special episode - an interview with Allen Wells about his new book Latin America's Democratic Crusade.

Allen's book examines the 20th century and argues that, despite the preoccupations within the USA about the Cold War, for many inside the region a different battle was playing out. Not Communism versus Capitalism, but democracy versus dictatorship.

The book will be published by Yale University Press and it is out now,

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After finding it such hard going, today the Montejos will finish their conquest. That doesn't mean that it will be easy however, to go forwards they will have to take some more steps backwards.

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Montejo came back for another go at conquering the Yucatan, and this time he decided to approach it from a different angle.

Would he be any more successful this time?

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The Yucatan peninsula formed a big unconquered space between several of the Spanish empire's most important colonies. In 1526 a man named Francisco de Montejo decided it was time to try and bring it under his control.

Upon arrival, he faced a difficult natural environment and a Maya population who had no intention of giving up their sovereignty.

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While the Spanish were expanding across South America, there was a vast gap in the land they controlled. The River Plate looked like a promising place for would-be conquistadors, and was only a matter of time before somebody tried to conquer it. Doing so turned out to be much more difficult that anticipated.

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