"Conquest of the Americas" Prof Marshall C. Eakin (24 Lectures / 30 Minutes Per Lecture / 4x DVD - The Great Courses)
In this 24-lecture course, Professor Marshall C. Eakin of Vanderbilt University examines the transformative and often violent collision of cultures that followed Christopher Columbus’s voyages. The series explores the dramatic fall of the Aztec and Inca empires, detailing how a relatively small number of Spanish and Portuguese conquerors managed to topple vast, sophisticated civilizations. You will analyze the motivations behind these expeditions—driven by "gold, god, and glory"—and the biological impact of the Columbian Exchange, which introduced new crops, animals, and devastating diseases to both sides of the Atlantic.
Beyond the initial conquest, the course investigates the complex social and racial hierarchies that emerged as European, Indigenous, and African peoples merged into new colonial societies. Professor Eakin explores the administrative and religious structures used by the Iberian powers to maintain control over their vast territories for over three centuries. By tracing the evolution of these colonies from their brutal beginnings to the eve of the independence movements, you will gain a profound understanding of how this period laid the cultural and political foundations for modern Latin America.