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Hernando de Soto is dead. His army is stranded deep in North America. And the survivors have one question left: How do we get home? In the conclusion of our nine-part De Soto expedition series, Luis de Moscoso leads the remaining conquistadors westward through East Texas, hoping to reach the Spanish settlements of New Spain. But hostile encounters, dwindling food supplies, and unreliable guides force the expedition to abandon its overland escape. The survivors return to the Mississippi River, build seven makeshift boats, and embark on a desperate voyage toward Mexico. Along the way, they face attacks from Native war canoes, violent storms, and the dangerous waters of the Gulf Coast. After more than four years of marching, fighting, and struggling to survive, the expedition finally reaches its end in 1543. Coming next: A special De Soto Q&A, an interview with historian David Carson, and the beginning of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition. Have questions about the De Soto expedition? Email [email protected]. Frontier Scouts and higher-tier Ko-fi supporters receive priority consideration. Support independent Texas history and unlock exclusive weekly Campfire Stories:https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Visit our website for written editions and sources:https://historyoftexaspodcast.com Sponsors: Texas Rune Forge: https://texasruneforge.com Fiscal Fairy Bookkeeping: https://thefiscalfairy.com Thank you for listening to The History of Texas! Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

The army that survived Mabila is falling apart. In the winter of 1541, Hernando de Soto's expedition faces freezing temperatures, dwindling supplies, and growing resistance from the Native peoples whose lands the Spaniards have invaded. A devastating nighttime attack at Chicaza leaves the conquistadors scrambling to survive. Still determined to find wealth and glory, De Soto pushes westward, crossing the Mississippi River and entering a world of powerful Indigenous chiefdoms, dangerous political rivalries, and increasingly desperate circumstances. But the expedition's greatest losses are still ahead. The death of interpreter Juan Ortiz threatens the Spaniards' ability to communicate, and De Soto himself falls gravely ill. On May 21, 1542, Hernando de Soto dies. His surviving men secretly surrender his body to the Mississippi River. Now, under the command of Luis de Moscoso, the remnants of the expedition must find a way home. Their next destination will take them into present-day Texas. Join Justin Day for Episode 18 of The History of Texas, as we follow the final chapter of De Soto's extraordinary and devastating expedition. Learn more: https://historyoftexaspodcast.com Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  YouTube Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

On October 18, 1540, Hernando de Soto marched into the fortified town of Mabila, despite warnings that warriors were gathering inside. What followed was one of the bloodiest battles of the entire expedition. In this episode of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto's army through the powerful chiefdom of Coosa and into the territory of Tascalusa, a Native ruler who refused to surrender his people's freedom. A confrontation at Mabila erupts into hours of desperate fighting, leaving the town in flames, thousands reportedly dead, and the Spanish expedition devastated. With winter approaching, wounded soldiers, and much of his equipment destroyed, De Soto faces a decision that will determine the fate of his expedition. Explore written episodes and historical sources at https://historyoftexaspodcast.com. Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Hosted by Justin Day. Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Hernando de Soto’s expedition pushes deeper into the Southeast in search of wealth, food, and the powerful province of Cofitachequi. There, the Spaniards encounter one of the most memorable figures of the entire expedition: the Lady of Cofitachequi. She arrives in ceremony, welcomes the newcomers, and presents them with pearls. But what begins as hospitality quickly turns into something far darker. As De Soto searches the province for treasure and supplies, the Lady finds herself traveling with an army she never asked to join. Her story becomes one of diplomacy, exploitation, captivity, and an extraordinary attempt to escape. In Episode 16 of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto into the Carolinas, examine the wealth and power of Cofitachequi, and meet the woman whose encounter with the expedition became one of the defining episodes of the journey. Subscribe for more episodes as we continue following the De Soto expedition toward Texas. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. #TexasHistory #HernandoDeSoto #Cofitachequi #NativeAmericanHistory #HistoryPodcast

In the winter of 1539, Hernando de Soto’s expedition made a discovery on the Florida coast that connected his journey directly to the disaster that had come before him. South of Anhaica, Spanish scouts found cut timber, feeding troughs, and the skulls of horses. They had reached the place where, eleven years earlier, the survivors of Pánfilo de Narváez’s expedition had slaughtered their horses and built the crude boats that carried them into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the beginning of the journey that eventually brought Cabeza de Vaca to Texas. But De Soto did not see the remains of Narváez’s failure as a warning. Instead, new stories of a wealthy country ruled by a woman drew him farther inland. In Episode 15 of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto through the winter in Apalachee, uncover the story behind the Bay of Horses, and begin the expedition’s march northeast toward Georgia and the mysterious Lady of Cofitachequi. 🎙️ The History of Texas tells the story of Texas chronologically, from the people and expeditions that shaped its earliest recorded history to the creation of the Lone Star State. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

De Soto’s army has survived Napituca, but the road ahead only gets harder. In Episode 14, the expedition pushes deeper into northern Florida, crossing the Suwannee and moving through Uçachile toward Apalachee country. The Spaniards encounter abandoned settlements, burned towns, difficult river crossings, and resistance from people determined to make every mile costly. By the time De Soto reaches Anhaica, near modern Tallahassee, he has found a place to spend the winter. But occupying Apalachee territory is very different from controlling it. And although Texas still lies far to the west, the expedition we are following will eventually carry the consequences of this campaign all the way there. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Men hiding beneath water-lily leaves. Horsemen riding into dark ponds. A standoff that lasts through the night. In Episode 13, The Trap at Napituca, Hernando de Soto’s march through Florida erupts into violence. Drawing on the surviving accounts, we follow the fighting, the desperate attempts to escape, and the mass capture that follows. Ahead lies Apalachee country, where the Spaniards will face a population determined to make them pay for every mile. Read written editions and explore the sources:HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com Support The History of Texas:Ko-fi Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history. Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:Shop the shirt on Etsy Our sponsors: For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:TheFiscalFairy.com Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:TexasRuneForge.com Follow The History of Texas: Spotify Apple Podcasts Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas. Thank you for listening! Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

Hernando de Soto believes he has learned from the disaster that destroyed the Narváez expedition. He has more men, more horses, better supplies, and a carefully organized plan for conquering Florida. But he has entered a land that remembers what the Spaniards did before. As De Soto’s army begins its march inland, it encounters hostile leaders, dangerous terrain, and Juan Ortiz, a survivor of the Narváez expedition long believed dead. Ortiz can speak the languages of Florida, but even he cannot erase years of violence and distrust. De Soto has built a better expedition. Now he must discover whether better preparation will save his army, or merely carry it farther down a bloodier road. Read written editions and explore the sources:https://historyoftexaspodcast.com Support The History of Texas:https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas History.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:https://www.etsy.com/listing/4565264040/the-history-of-texas-podcast-tee-texas For stress free business bookkeeping, be sure to visit to visit our sponsor The Fiscal Fairy at: TheFiscalFairy.com More links:  www.TexasRuneForge.com  Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠  Written, researched, narrated, and produced by Justin Day.

Before Hernando de Soto ever set foot in what would become the American South, he had already spent years fighting, conquering, and building a fortune in the Spanish Empire. In this episode of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto from the campaigns of Central America to the conquest of Peru, where he rode into Cajamarca, met the Inca emperor Atahualpa, and emerged from the conquest as one of the wealthiest men in Spain. But wealth wasn't enough. Back home, De Soto married into a powerful family, received the prestigious habit of the Order of Santiago, and secured royal authority to lead an expedition into the vast territory Spain called La Florida. Cabeza de Vaca had returned from North America with a warning. De Soto heard something else: opportunity. And this time, Spain wouldn't be sending a few hundred desperate castaways. A harder man was coming, with a much larger army. 👕 New Podcast Shirt: Support The History of Texas and grab the new design on ⁠the Etsy store. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preservethese stories of Texas History. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0QQ3yhHCr3hNFGp9j5ih6f Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 More links: www.TexasRuneForge.com Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠

The Narváez expedition entered North America with an army and lost almost everyone. Four survivors eventually crossed the continent using Native food, knowledge, diplomacy, healing, trade, and adaptation. That was the warning their journey offered. But it was not the lesson Spain chose. In Episode 10, “The Warning Spain Ignored,” we follow Cabeza de Vaca after his return to Spain. We examine his failed partnership with Hernando de Soto, his controversial governorship in Río de la Plata, his trial before the Council of the Indies, and the conclusions Spain drew from the survivors’ extraordinary journey. Instead of questioning the dream of conquest, Spain prepared larger expeditions to pursue it. Hernando de Soto believed he understood what Narváez had done wrong. The question was whether that would save his men, or merely prolong their demise. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas History. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 Support for The History of Texas comes from: Texas Rune Forge Western grit. Nordic tradition. https://texasruneforge.com Fiscal Fairy Bookkeeping QuickBooks cleanup, reconciliation, and ongoing bookkeeping for small businesses. https://fiscalfairybookkeeping.com Subscribe for new episodes of The History of Texas. Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Primary source: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, La Relación, translated by David Carson, TexasCounties.net: https://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/theaccount-cabezadevaca.htm

Before we leave Cabeza de Vaca behind, this first intermission pauses the main narrative to answer some of the biggest lingering questions from the Narvaez expedition. In this episode, we examine how historians reconstruct the survivors’ route, the differences between the 1536 Joint Report and Cabeza de Vaca’s later La Relacion, when he returned to Mexico City, and why parts of his journey remain disputed nearly five centuries later. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preservethese stories of Texas History. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 More links: www.texasruneforge.com Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Primary source: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, La Relación, translated by David Carson, TexasCounties.net: https://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/theaccount-cabezadevaca.htm

After nearly eight years of shipwreck, hunger, enslavement, captivity, healing, and wandering, Cabeza de Vaca and his three surviving companions finally return to the Spanish world. But rescue does not mean safety for everyone. As the four survivors encounter Spanish soldiers, they find Native communities fleeing into the mountains, abandoned fields, and people threatened with chains. The authority they earned as healers now collides with the machinery of conquest. In Episode 9, the survivors complete their journey to Mexico City. The men who return are not the same men who entered Florida seeking treasure and glory, and the consequences of their survival are only beginning. The first listener Q&A is coming soon. Submit your questions by Sunday, August 2 at 8 p.m. Central. Frontier Scout and higher-tier Ko-fi supporters receive priority. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas History. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QQ3yhHCr3hNFGp9j5ih6f Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 More links: texasruneforge.com Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Primary source: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, La Relación, translated by David Carson, TexasCounties.net: https://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/theaccount-cabezadevaca.htm

In Episode 8, the four survivors move farther west and enter a changing world. After years of hunger, captivity, healing, and wandering, Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estebanico begin finding fixed houses, corn, beans, cotton clothing, trade goods, turquoise, copper bells, and signs of long-distance exchange. The land is no longer the starving world of the coast. It is settled, connected, and far more complex than the Spaniards had understood. But their reputation has become dangerous. The same belief that feeds them and opens roads also brings fear. People believe the four men can heal, bless, curse, and even kill by willing it. The survivors must manage that fear carefully, because the road ahead depends on Native trust. Then, at last, they hear news of other Spaniards. Men with beards. Horses. Lances. Chains. For years, Cabeza de Vaca had dreamed of finding Christians again. But when he finally nears the Spanish world, the reunion is not simple rescue. It is the beginning of a painful collision between the world that kept him alive and the world he came from. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas History. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QQ3yhHCr3hNFGp9j5ih6f Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 More links: texasruneforge.com Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Primary source: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, La Relación, translated by David Carson, TexasCounties.net: https://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/theaccount-cabezadevaca.htm

Episode 7 follows Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes, Alonso del Castillo, and Estebanico as their reputation grows into something far larger than survival. No longer just starving castaways, the four men are received as healers, holy men, and dangerous figures of power. Villages feed them. Crowds follow them. The sick are brought forward. Food is blessed before anyone will eat. But their growing authority also brings darker consequences. As the survivors move west, some groups use their reputation to frighten and rob others. The journey becomes a strange chain of healing, fear, honor, celebration, and plunder. This episode also follows one of the most dramatic moments in the entire account: Cabeza de Vaca performing crude surgery to remove an arrowhead lodged near a man’s heart. After that, the legend surrounding the four survivors only grows stronger. By the end of this stage, the men who entered the New World dreaming of conquest, treasure, and empire have been remade by dependence, hunger, Native guides, Native villages, and a world far more connected than they ever expected. They have crossed from starvation into abundance. From captivity into legend. But they are not home yet. And ahead of them waits the most dangerous meeting of all. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, leave a review, subscribe to the newsletter via Substack, and share the podcast with someone who loves history. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas History. I’m currently looking to upgrade to a professional quality microphone, and perhaps eventually sound paneling, and every contribution helps bring me closer to providing the highest quality audio possible to you, the listener. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QQ3yhHCr3hNFGp9j5ih6f Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 More links: texasruneforge.com Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Primary source: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, La Relación, translated by David Carson, TexasCounties.net: https://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/theaccount-cabezadevaca.htm

After nearly six years along the Texas coast, Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estebanico finally make a run for freedom during the prickly pear season. But escape does not mean safety. They walk into hunger, cold, unknown languages, unfamiliar peoples, and a world no European had ever described before. In this episode, the four survivors encounter the Avavares, hear the chilling story of La Mala Cosa — The Bad Thing — and watch their reputation as healers begin to spread across the land. They are no longer conquerors. They are wanderers. Healers. Men surviving only because Native communities feed them, guide them, fear them, and begin passing their story from village to village. Before Texas was Texas, this was the world already here. Become a supporter on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Supporters help me research, write, record, and preservethese stories of Texas History. Thank you for listening to The History of Texas. Follow The History of Texas: - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QQ3yhHCr3hNFGp9j5ih6f - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677 More links: texasruneforge.com Music: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Primary source: Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, La Relación, translated by David Carson, TexasCounties.net: https://www.texascounties.net/articles/discovery-of-texas/theaccount-cabezadevaca.htm