
Fall of Tenochtitlan (Ep 8)
03/10/22 • 46 min
In Episode 8, Cortes wears out his welcome in Tenochtitlan and sacrifices Moctezuma in a final attempt at saving his ambition: the greatest city in the New World. The Noche Triste, among the most iconic nights in Mexican history, plays out as the Spanish-Tlaxcala army flees the city.
Part 1 - Cortes Returns to Tenochtitlan
Following the Toxcatl Massacre, which decapitated the Mexica nobility in Cortes' absence, he returns to take command of a bad situation.
Part 2 - Death of Moctezuma
Holed up and pinned down in Axayactl's palace, Moctezuma is killed.
Part 3 - Noche Triste
On the most famous evening of the entire Conquest, Cortes and his army try to sneak out of Tenochtitlan. A brutal battle erupts as the Spanish flee on the causeway.
Part 4 - Battle of Otumba
Pursued for days into the desert, Cortes decides to turn and face the pursuing Mexica army.
Part 5 - Struggle in Tenochtitlan
The challenges facing the Mexica become apparent once the Spanish are gone. And a plague strikes.
Part 6 - Cortes Returns
After gathering new forces and healing, Cortes brings a refreshed army to finish the Mexica.
Episode 8 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Araucanian war song by downforthecount
Away by Meydän
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Breathe
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
This Could All Be Gone Tomorrow
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle tropical birds and insects by mikevpme
water lapping by celch93
splashing footsteps1 by soundmary
foley natural water jump by nox sound
horses by arnaud coutander
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
horse snort by bruno auzet
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
arrow cutting through the air by bruno auzet
ancient old time battle combat horses snorting... by ylearkisto
ambient battle noise swords and shouting by phranzen
the rain falls against the parasol by straget
stones falling by iwanPlays
orest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky
water-lapping by ceivh93
rain by idomusics
fire 2 by pushtobreak
horse whinny by inspectorj
walking2-gravel by tec-studio
In Episode 8, Cortes wears out his welcome in Tenochtitlan and sacrifices Moctezuma in a final attempt at saving his ambition: the greatest city in the New World. The Noche Triste, among the most iconic nights in Mexican history, plays out as the Spanish-Tlaxcala army flees the city.
Part 1 - Cortes Returns to Tenochtitlan
Following the Toxcatl Massacre, which decapitated the Mexica nobility in Cortes' absence, he returns to take command of a bad situation.
Part 2 - Death of Moctezuma
Holed up and pinned down in Axayactl's palace, Moctezuma is killed.
Part 3 - Noche Triste
On the most famous evening of the entire Conquest, Cortes and his army try to sneak out of Tenochtitlan. A brutal battle erupts as the Spanish flee on the causeway.
Part 4 - Battle of Otumba
Pursued for days into the desert, Cortes decides to turn and face the pursuing Mexica army.
Part 5 - Struggle in Tenochtitlan
The challenges facing the Mexica become apparent once the Spanish are gone. And a plague strikes.
Part 6 - Cortes Returns
After gathering new forces and healing, Cortes brings a refreshed army to finish the Mexica.
Episode 8 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Araucanian war song by downforthecount
Away by Meydän
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Breathe
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
This Could All Be Gone Tomorrow
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle tropical birds and insects by mikevpme
water lapping by celch93
splashing footsteps1 by soundmary
foley natural water jump by nox sound
horses by arnaud coutander
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
horse snort by bruno auzet
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
arrow cutting through the air by bruno auzet
ancient old time battle combat horses snorting... by ylearkisto
ambient battle noise swords and shouting by phranzen
the rain falls against the parasol by straget
stones falling by iwanPlays
orest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky
water-lapping by ceivh93
rain by idomusics
fire 2 by pushtobreak
horse whinny by inspectorj
walking2-gravel by tec-studio
Previous Episode

Foreigners in Tenochtitlan (Ep 7)
In Episode 7, Cortes enters the Mexica capital and is welcomed. But things quickly go bad and violence erupts.
Part 1 - Entering Tenochtitlan
Cortes, his Spanish soldiers and 4 or 5 thousand Tlaxcalan warriors enter Tenochtitlan along the causeway.
Part 2 - Meeting Moctezuma
Moctezuma emerges from the crowd to welcome Cortes to Tenochtitlan.
Part 3 - Guests in the Capital
The Spanish are welcomed and granted use of the Palace of Axayacatl, the former Tlatoani.
Part 4 - The Hostage Moctezuma
In one of history's boldest moves, Cortes takes Moctezuma hostage in his own capital and begins to manipulate the empire.
Part 5 - Death of Cualpopoca
The indigenous chief of nautla, Cualpopoca is brought to Tenochtitlan for his own execution as a manipulation to undercut Moctezuma's sincerity.
Part 6 - Narvaez Arrives on the Coast
A Spanish captain arrives to reign in Cortes, who will not go so easy.
Part 7 - Festival of Toxcatl
Pedro de ALvarado loses control of the capital and caves into his fears, attacking the heart of Mexica nobility.
Episode 7 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Fuego de Mateo by downforthecount
Away by Meydän
Surreal Forrest by Meydän
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Breathe
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
guitar percussion by bangcorrupt
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Infinite Taiko Drum Sequence by Infinita08
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle tropical birds and insects by mikevpme
rumble loop by unfa
horses by arnaud coutander
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
horse snort by bruno auzet
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
ancient old time battle combat horses snorting... by ylearkisto
stones falling by iwanPlays
orest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky
water-lapping by ceivh93
soft wind by florianreichelt
fire 2 by pushtobreak
horse whinny by inspectorj
coopers hawk by blimp66
walking2-gravel by tec-studio
Next Episode

Bonus Episode: The End of the Mexica (Ep 9)
In Episode 9, Cortes returns to the Valley of Mexico, bringing with him nearly a thousand refreshed Spanish soldiers, and tens of thousands of Tlaxcalan warriors. A brutal siege would grind the Mexica down until their ability to resist was done. This would be the end of Mexica power and culture in the valley.
Part 1 - The March to Texcoco
Cortes returns to the Valley of Mexico and is welcomed by a young prince.
Part 2 - The Players Are Set
With Cortes camped in Texcoco, backed by his Tlaxcala and Acolhua allies, and Cuauhtemoc and the remainder of the Mexica in Tenochtitlan - the sides were set.
Part 3 - Siege of Tenochtitlan
Cortes tightens his grip around the island of Tenochtitlan, squeezing the life out of the Mexica inside.
Part 4 - Mexica Abandon Tenochtitlan
With their forces depleted, their food gone, the Tenochca Mexica abandon Moctezuma's Palace, the Sacred Precinct and the rest of Tenochtitlan and head north to shelter with their Mexica neighbors in Tlatelolco.
Part 5 - Cortes Gets Routed
Feeling eager to close out the siege, Cortes' men charged into a fatal mess, nearly costing Cortes his life.
Part 6 - Amaxac
Now down to their final sliver of land, their final people, the Mexica huddle in a place called Amaxac.
Part 7 - The End of the Mexica
The remaining women, children and elderly were allowed to leave while the leadership is taken into Spanish custody, marking the end of Mexica power.
Part 8 - The Valley After the Mexica
Cortes immediately began work on a new colonial city, burying Tenochtitlan beneath.
Part 9 - Mexico Today
A brief discussion on my personal views of what Mexica is today, the legacy of the Mexica andother Indigenous people, and the concept of mestizo.
Episode 9 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Away by Meydän
Surreal Forest by Meydän
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Breathe by Daniel Birch
Sustained Light by Daniel Birch
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Fuego de Mateo by Down for the Count
Guitar Percussion by Bangcorrupt
Taiko drum sequence for looping the sacrifice by Infinita08
Intro coda acoutsic guitar by Valentin Sosnitskiy
~ Sound Effects ~
All sounds procured at freesound.com - Thank you to the creators below for their contributions.
splashing footsteps1 by soundmary
foley natural water jump by nox sound
horses by arnaud coutander
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
Canadian horse running by vero-marengere
horse galloping by max headroom
horse snort by bruno auzet
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
arrow cutting through the air by bruno auzet
ancient old time battle combat horses snorting... by ylearkisto
ambient battle noise swords and shouting by phranzen
the rain falls against the parasol by straget
forest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky
water-lapping by ceivh93
rain by idomusics
soft wind by florianreichelt
fire 2 by pushtobreak
horse whinny by inspectorj
coopers hawk by blimp66
walking2-gravel by tec-studio
lost dream intro by unknown user
Mexico City street vendor with street sounds by kdceduk8
taikodrum-41-hz by tarane468
panther by xhwzq6gv
pain-schwester by repdac3
walla Cuban men yell bball1 by kyles
three cannon shots by originalmaja
sailing boat bow wave close perspective by pfannkuchn
wood chopping chopping hard wood with metal axe by guntherdorksen
timber tree falling by matt beer
Mexica: A History Podcast - Fall of Tenochtitlan (Ep 8)
Transcript
Last time in Episode 7: Pedro de Alvarado led a massacre of the Mexica nobility and military officers, leading the Spanish to hole up in the palace, under a siege of Mexica projectiles, until Cortes returned to save them.
The cries and wails coming from the Sacred Precinct were enough to make anyone in the city aware of the tragedy. Finally, after several Mexica, who had escaped the slaughter, had raised the alarm did the surviving captains from
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