We often speak of the conquests of great generals, but what about the soldiers who won the battles? In this series, we look at the life, equipment, and weapons of the average soldier in order to better understand their sacrifices and triumphs. The Spanish Empire was forged by such individuals with both good and bad consequences. How were Spanish soldiers equipped for the rigors of combat in the New World? This hour lecture analyzes the arms and armor of the Spanish conquistadors and the historical context of the conquest of the New World. An on-going lecture series, Hands-on History examines the story of the common soldier and stresses to tell their story.

Chapters
0:50 Part 1: Historical Context
4:58 Part 2: Clothing and Accessories
15:57 Part 3: Armor
26:28 Part 4: Sword and Shield
33:15 Part 5: Halberd and Dagger
39:06 Part 6: Crossbow Firing
44:48 Part 7: Conclusion

Bibliography:
Anthony Pagden, Hernan Cortez: Letters from Mexico. Yale University Press, 1989.
Bernando de Sahagun, The Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain, trans. Arthur Anderson and Charles E. Dibble. The School for American Research and the University of Utah, 1950-1982.
Bernal Diaz Del Castillo, The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico. ed. Genaro Garcia, 1956.
Francisco Lopez de Gomara, Cortez: Life of the Conqueror by his Secretary. Trans and ed. Leslie Byrd Simpson, 1964.
George Gush, Renaissance Armies 1480-1650. Patrick Stevens, 1975.
Harold L. Petersen, Arms and Armour in Colonial America 1526-1783. Bramhall House 1956.
Hugh Thomas, Conquest: Montezuma, Cortez and the Fall of Old Mexico. Simon and Schuster, 1993.
Ian Heath, Armies of the 16th Century. Volume 2: Armies of the Aztecs and Incas 1450-1608. Foundry Books, 1999.
James D. Lavin, A History of Spanish Firearms. Herbert Jenkins, 1965.
John Pohl, Illustrated by Adam Hook, The Conquistador: 1492-1550. Osprey: London, 2001.
Patricia de Fuentes, The Conquistadors: First-Person Accounts of the Conquest of Mexico. 1993.
Ross Hassig, Mexico and the Spanish Conquest. Longman, 1994.
William H. Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico. J.B Lippincott Co. 1899.