Discovering America Podcast

The army is breaking up winter camp located at the village of Chickasaw.  They started off in a northwesterly direction marching through the state of Mississippi.  After a few fights with the natives along the way, the Spanish feasted their eyes upon the great Mississippi River.  What a swim this is going to be.

The great battle between the warriors of chief Tuscaloosa and the Spanish army.   After leaving the village in ashes they traveled to the village of Chickasaw to winter the army.  Does anyone around here have a ticket back to New Spain?  I am ready to go home.

The travels of de Soto and his Army through the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.  They would cover so much ground and meet so many different tribes.

The Spanish army parts ways with Patofa and then meets up with the Princess of Cofachiqui.  No gold or silver but they made a haul on pearls.

The Spanish get wrapped up in the grievances of the next group of natives.  The natives commanded by Patofa and the Spanish head out to take revenge.   Juan de Anasco would observe a village in the province of Cofachiqui.  Where is the GOLD!!!!

de Soto and his army heading west along the top of Florida to the great Apalachee province, home to the fiercest warriors in Florida.  The army would winter at the village of Anhayea.  From here Juan de Anasco would travel south and discover an excellent bay and the remnants of Panfilo de Narvaez's failed expedition.

The Spanish army's trek north where they meet three Chiefs that were brothers.  Two of them controlled half the territory the other half was overseen by chief Vitachuco, where de Soto and his troop were currently passing through.  The three chiefs would get along great with the Spanish….NOT!!

The Spanish found an interpreter, the young man, Juan Ortiz, who spent 8 years of his life in the Indian village of chief Ucita and then ran off to live in the village of Mocoso for another 3 years.   The Spanish begin their travels north.  I wonder if this expedition through Florida would have been much easier if the previous trip by Panifilo de Narvaez and his group would have established a grea...

The grand lifestyle that was now de Soto's back in Spain.  Was this enough?  No!!!  Florida was his for the taking.  The preparations begin and the gallant men who sign up for a piece of the action.  All aboard let's go...

A continuation of the story of de Soto's friend Codro and his fate, and finishes with de Soto's participation in the conquest of Peru.

The beginnings of a Spanish conquistador named Ferdinand de Soto, where he came from and the hardships he had to endure.

The highlights on what the armies had seen and what happened after Coronado's accident.  There was no more wind in the sails.  Ending this expedition was not what they wanted to do but, after all that had happened, it was time.  So with the sand in their pockets, they headed for home. 

The armies of Coronado continue discovering the many pueblos along their path.  Especially the "Rock of Acuco, the oldest inhabited city on the North American continent.

The armies of Coronado exploring the landscape of New Mexico and seeing buffalo for the first time.   It was during this part of the expedition that the Spanish army fought the Indians at Tiguex and then tried to make peace with them during the winter months with little success.  Does anybody out here have a road map?

Captain Diaz and his men camped along the Colorado River.  Coronado and his company headed for Cibola.   Coronado ordered Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas to investigate a river to the northwest, another section of the Colorado River.  The amazement that must have captivated Diaz, Cardenas and their men by seeing the Grand Canyon and the immense space and beauty of this area for the first time, O wait...

Starting with travels of the Franciscan Monk, Fray Marcos of Nizza, who may have stretched the truth on what he found.  Francisco Vázquez de Coronado would be sent to follow up on Marcos' reports, the discovery of the spectacular "Seven Cities".  Here begins the adventure …  

This episode finishes the travels of the four remaining men that took over eight to years to complete and the many villages and Indians they met along the way.  Vaca would speak against the Spanish slave trade and may have gotten him into trouble in his later years.   The return of these four men with their stories would prompt others with a desire to prepare for further exploration to uncover the...

The continuation of the men that remained alive.  Two groups of Spaniards either became too sick and passed away or were killed by the Indians.  Lope de Oviedo would stay with the Indians and take his chances.  Fourteen remained but were scattered among the different tribes.  And then there were four, Andres Dorantes, Alonso del Castillo and the africain slave, Estevanico, who would travel among t...

What's left of Narvaez's dwindling band, its trials and errors.  Five barges were constructed to take to the sea.  By not sticking together, each individual barge was on its own.  Vaca and one other barge would later meet up but, in a storm that barge and crew were lost.  This episode ends with just Vaca and his group clinging to life but, in the care of Indians.  The Spanish were uneasy, were the...

The events and activities that will lead us to the next great adventure.  Five ships will sail off for an expedition commanded by Panifilo de Narvaez to the Florida coast.  

I expand on the stories of six men who added to the progression and discovery of America. They are Diego Velázquez , Diego and Bartholomew Columbus, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, Antonio de Alaminos and Vicente Yanez Pinzon.  

The part finishes up with Cortes' conquest of the Aztec empire and the final years of the man we know as Cortes.

The man called Hernando Cortes and the beginnings of his adventure with the great empire of the Aztecs.

Other voyages that were undertaken during the year 1508.  One headed by Juan Diaz de Solis and Vicente Yanez Pinzon, and a second by Sebastian de Ocampo.  Cuba would be colonized and its appointed governor, Diego Velazquez, would organize voyages destined to discover other unknown regions.

A further discussion of maps of the world.  Just what did the early explorers have in their hands?  I end with the partial exploration of Florida by Juan Ponce de Leon.