Today we look at a concept known as the black legend. There is no question that the Spanish conquests of Latin America were bloody affairs, and that conquest as a whole is not exactly pleasant. There is however a school a thought which argues that the Spanish were vilified for geo-political reasons, often hypocritically by those doing the vilifying.

In this episode we examine the varied peoples who have had political reasons to perpetuate what some call the black legend, and discuss the problems inherent in creating truly neutral history.

In this second and final part about the kingdom of the Itza, we tell the story of how it was conquered. Involved is an ambitious Spanish governor, some unauthorized diplomacy, and a recreation of the assault on Tenochtitlan

In remote northern Guatemala is a beautiful old city built onto an island. The shores of the lake which surrounds it are peppered with unexcavated Maya ruins.

Almost two centuries after the fall of the Aztec, a transplanted Maya kingdom ruled from this island, unmolested by the Spanish empire which had taken over most of the rest of the continent.

In this episode we look at the Itzá - the builders of the famous Chichén Itzá in Mexico, how they relocated to retain their independence, and the kingdom they built once they had done so.