The March to Mexico (Ep 5)

02/15/22 • 39 min

In Episode 5, Cortes marched inland toward Tenochtitlan and passes through difficult terrain and battles on his way to finding a new and powerful ally.

Part 1 - Departing Cempoala

Cortes and his men depart the Totonac town of Cempoala and head into the lush highlands of the Sierra Madre.

Part 2 - Deserts, Valleys and Volcanoes

The Spanish expedition reaches the desert highlands and the men suffer from hypothermia, dehydration and hunger.

Part 3 - The Fight to Tlaxcala

Several local people, including the Otomi, attack the Spanish.

Part 4 - New Allies in Tlaxcala

Cortes makes a powerful new ally.

Part 5 - Staying in Tlaxcala

The Spanish stay in Tlaxcala for two weeks, recuperating, eating and learning of another Aztec enemy in the four cities of the Tlaxcala Federation.
Episode 5 Credits

Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.

~ Music ~
Intro Coda, acoustic guitar by Valentin Sosnitskiy
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Early Morning Breakup
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
Away by Meydän
intro by lost dream
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle-tropical-birds-and-insects by mikeypme
marching by webbfilmsuk
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
mercado 05 by dobroide
timber tree falling by matt_beer
big bad dogs 5 by robinhood76
horse whinny by inspectorj
canadian horse running by vero marengere
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
horse snort by bruno auzet
soft wind by florianreichelt
walk on dirt road by laurent
army marching by craigsmith
cold breeze ambiance by siyamahlobo
campfire sound by sterckxs
forest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky

In Episode 5, Cortes marched inland toward Tenochtitlan and passes through difficult terrain and battles on his way to finding a new and powerful ally.

Part 1 - Departing Cempoala

Cortes and his men depart the Totonac town of Cempoala and head into the lush highlands of the Sierra Madre.

Part 2 - Deserts, Valleys and Volcanoes

The Spanish expedition reaches the desert highlands and the men suffer from hypothermia, dehydration and hunger.

Part 3 - The Fight to Tlaxcala

Several local people, including the Otomi, attack the Spanish.

Part 4 - New Allies in Tlaxcala

Cortes makes a powerful new ally.

Part 5 - Staying in Tlaxcala

The Spanish stay in Tlaxcala for two weeks, recuperating, eating and learning of another Aztec enemy in the four cities of the Tlaxcala Federation.
Episode 5 Credits

Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.

Previous Episode

Exploiting Divides (Ep 4)

In Episode 4, Cortes digs in and settles on the coast. He encounters a new people, the Totonacs, and discovers their conflict with the Aztec Triple Alliance.

Part 1 – The Totonacs

Cortes learns of the Totonacs, who invite him to meet Xicomecoatl, leader of the town of Cempoala. Cortes learns of their subjugation by the Aztecs, and the anger they hold for Moctezuma.

Part 2 – Cempoala

Cortes passes through Cempoala on his way North. The Spaniards are stunned by the beauty of Cempoala. They stay a few days before moving on.

Part 3 – Quiahuitzlan
Having spotted a mountain town from a coastal exploration, Cortes marches for the town, called Quiahuitzlan.

Part 4 – Worry in the Capital

With Cortes suddenly established on the coast and allied with their Totonac subjects, the Lords of th Triple Alliance began to feel the severity of these foreigners intent.

Part 5 – Building of Villa Rica

Under the command of the new Chief Justice and Commander Cortes the foundations of the town of Villa Rica de la Veracruz were laid.

Part 6 - Loyalty to the Totonacs

Cortes strikes a deal with the Totonacs to support them in independence from the Triple Alliance in exchange for indigenous support of food, labor and intelligence.

Part 7 - Sinking Ships and Shipping Traffic

The most legendary sub-plot of the "Conquest of Mexico" is Cortes sinking his ships. See below, Episode 4 Breakdown - Sinking Ships, for more historic outtakes for this famous incident.

Part 8 - Garay

A rival arrives off the coast and a confrontation occurs as Cortes seizes several men from the Garay Expedition, out of Jamaica.
Episode 4 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Intro Coda, acoustic guitar by Valentin Sosnitskiy
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Early Morning Breakup
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
Meydän, https://meydan.bandcamp.com/
Away
Surreal Forrest
intro by lost dream
guitar percussion by bangcorrupt
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle-tropical-birds-and-insects by mikeypme
marching by webbfilmsuk
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
water-lapping by ceivh93
mercado 05 by dobroide
timber tree falling by matt_beer
big bad dogs 5 by robinhood76
horse whinny by inspectorj
ocean waves relaxing waves tranquil geo by davidgtr1
canadian horse running by vero marengere
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
horse snort by bruno auzet
foley natural water jump mono by nox-sound
Splashing footsteps by soundmary

Next Episode

Entering the Land of Mexico (Ep 6)

In Episode 6, Cortes continues his march toward Tenochtitlan with a fateful and violent stop in Cholula.

Part 1 - Cholula

Cortes and his 400 Spanish soldiers enter Cholula while the nearly 10,000-strong Tlaxcala and Totonac armies wait outside the city. Here they commit one of the worst atrocities ever committed in the Conquest of the New World.

Part 2 - Word of the Destruction of Cholula

Word of the incomprehensible destruction of Cholula spreads, and with it; fear.

Part 3 - Up the Volcano

Diego de Ordaz heads the volcano Popocatepetl and gets the first glimpse of Tenochtitlan and Lake Texcoco.

Part 4 - Drunk Men Speak Truth

Mexica representatives are intercepted by a drunk man who blasts them with his truthful words.

Part 5 - Departing Cholula

The Cortes Expedition sets out for Tenochtitlan on the final leg of the journey.

Part 6 - Chalco

The Expedition arrives in the Chalco region, and moves to Moctezuma's doorstep, just two miles from Tenochtitlan.
Episode 6 Credits

Written, produced and performed by Jeremy Lipps.

~ Music ~
Away by Meydän
Surreal Forrest by Meydän
guitar percussion by bangcorrupt
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Sustained Light
Breathe
The Gates Are Locked
intro by lost dream
Bountiful by Podington Bear
~ Sound Effects ~
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

Mexica: A History Podcast - The March to Mexico (Ep 5)

Transcript

Episode 5 - March to Mexico

Last time in Episode 4: Cortes began construction on the town of Villa Rica, found new allies in the Totonacs, dealt with competing Spaniards, and established the bureaucracy to manage his power. In Tenochtitlan, Moctezuma and the Triple Alliance leaders agree to the inevitable meeting with Cortes.

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