After his stop in the Yucatan, Cortez continued northwards. He had a few difficulties to overcome before he encountered the Aztec however. Today's episode will see him fighting the first battles of the conquest, and meeting a character who will play a major role in coming events. ...
Mexico is one of the cradles of humanity and was home to some of the world's great civilisations. Everyone knows about the Aztec and the Maya, but these are just two of the many peoples who inhabited the region. In this episode we look at the earliest cities in Mesoamerica including the Olmec and the Zapotec. We will also discuss the ball game - the strange sport which was ubiquitous in the area, and which sometimes resulted in the sacrifice of its participants. ...
While the conquistadors were off exploring and conquering the Americas, back in Spain change was afoot. Ferdinand and Isabella both died within the first couple of decades of the 1500s, and this set off an ugly political struggle. The end result was that Spain would come under control of a new family of kings, and would become part of a much larger and more powerful political unit. ...
