The Scandalous Heists of the Spanish Conquistadors

speaker1

[Intro Music] Welcome to Tea Time with History! Buckle up, because today we’re diving into the most scandalous, backstabbing, and downright violent heist in history—when the Spanish conquistadors rolled up to the Americas and stole entire empires like it was nothing. I’m your host, and joining me is the incredibly insightful and engaging co-host, [speaker2]. So, let’s get right to it!

speaker2

Oh, this episode has lies, betrayals, invasions, and even kidnappings. Spain sent some of the most ruthless men to snatch up land, gold, and power—and trust me, they did not play fair. I’m so excited to explore this with you!

speaker1

Absolutely! Let’s start with Hernán Cortés, the man who hustled his way into conquering an entire empire. In 1519, Spain sends Cortés to Mexico to explore—but, let’s be real, they wanted him to find gold. And boy, did he find it!

speaker2

So he lands in Mexico with about 600 men and immediately realizes something: The Aztecs are loaded. Their empire is huge, their capital city, Tenochtitlán, is beautiful and advanced, and most importantly—they have a LOT of gold. Can you imagine the moment he saw all of that for the first time?

speaker1

Oh, it must have been mind-blowing! But here’s where it gets wild—Cortés doesn’t attack right away. Nope, he finesses his way in by pretending to be a friendly visitor. And, plot twist, the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II lets him in because some people thought Cortés might be a god returning to Earth. Imagine being that welcoming and having it backfire so spectacularly!

speaker2

Big mistake. HUGE. So, Cortés takes full advantage of this and starts plotting. He kidnaps Moctezuma and basically forces him to control his own people under Spanish rule. Imagine being held hostage in your own palace—couldn’t be me. But how did the Aztecs react to this?

speaker1

Well, the Aztecs are like, ‘Wait, why are we letting these weird bearded guys run things?’ So they revolt and start fighting back. Cortés and his men literally have to flee for their lives. They lose a ton of men, but instead of taking the L, Cortés is like, ‘Nah, we’re coming back with reinforcements.’ And by reinforcements, he means thousands of Indigenous allies who were sick of Aztec rule.

speaker2

Oh yeah, Cortés played the ultimate divide and conquer game—he got local tribes to turn against the Aztecs. But then, things get even MESSIER. Smallpox hits Tenochtitlán. The disease wipes out thousands of Aztecs, weakening their army. So when Cortés returns with his Indigenous allies, Spanish soldiers, and more weapons, it’s game over. What a devastating combination of factors!

speaker1

Exactly. By 1521, the Aztec Empire falls, Cortés renames Tenochtitlán Mexico City, and boom—Spain officially takes over Mexico. But if you thought Cortés was bad, wait until you hear about Francisco Pizarro, the man who double-crossed the entire Inca Empire. In the 1530s, Pizarro lands in Peru, where the Inca Empire is already in chaos. The Inca just finished a civil war, so their new emperor, Atahualpa, is barely holding things together. Pizarro sees his perfect opportunity.

speaker2

And Pizarro? Oh, he sees his perfect opportunity. He sends a message to Atahualpa like, ‘Hey bestie, let’s meet up, no bad vibes.’ Yeah, huge red flag. So Atahualpa shows up with thousands of his warriors. But Pizarro? He sets a trap. His tiny Spanish army ambushes the Incas, captures Atahualpa, and slaughters thousands of his men. And THEN—this is where it gets crazy—Pizarro holds Atahualpa hostage and demands a RANSOM. He tells the Incas, ‘Fill this entire room with gold and silver, and maybe I’ll let him go.’

speaker1

And the Incas actually pay up. They fill an entire room with gold, thinking they’ll get their emperor back. But Pizarro is like, ‘LOL, just kidding,’ and kills Atahualpa anyway. With their leader dead, the Inca Empire crumbles, and Pizarro takes over Peru. Spain officially claims South America. How did Spain, with just a few hundred men, manage to take down two of the biggest empires in history?

speaker2

Okay, so how did Spain, with just a few hundred men, take down two of the biggest empires in history? Well, there are a few key factors. European diseases like smallpox, measles, and the flu wiped out millions of Indigenous people. The Spanish had advanced weapons like guns, steel swords, and cannons, while the Aztecs and Incas had wooden clubs and bows. They also played different Indigenous groups against each other, and used straight-up betrayal and manipulation to gain power.

speaker1

Absolutely. And the consequences were severe. So, after stealing all this land, Spain gets FILTHY rich. They start shipping tons of gold and silver back to Europe. But guess what? They don’t want to do the hard labor themselves—so they enslave Indigenous people under a brutal system called the encomienda system. And when that doesn’t work out, they bring in enslaved Africans, which leads to the transatlantic slave trade. The impact on Indigenous populations was catastrophic.

speaker2

It’s a dark and complex history, but it’s important to understand the full scope of what happened. The Spanish conquistadors’ actions had far-reaching consequences that shaped the world we live in today. So, what do you think the long-term impacts of these conquests were?

speaker1

The long-term impacts are profound. The Spanish conquest led to the decimation of Indigenous populations, the introduction of European diseases, and the establishment of a global trade network that included the transatlantic slave trade. It also led to significant cultural and economic changes in both the Americas and Europe. But in the next episode, we’re going to dive even deeper into the Columbian Exchange—aka, the ultimate trade deal that went VERY wrong. We’re talking deadly diseases, stolen crops, and how Europe literally changed the environment of the Americas forever.

speaker2

Oh, it’s gonna be juicy. So make sure to like, subscribe, and join us next time for more scandalous history tea! [Outro Music]