The Siege of Tenochtitlan: Canoes, Causeways and the Battle for the Lake

In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine the often-overlooked naval dimension of the 1521 Siege of Tenochtitlan. While most accounts focus on Cortés and his Tlaxcalan allies on land, the Spanish also built a fleet of brigantines specifically to challenge Mexica war canoes on Lake Texcoco. Lucas explains how the Mexica adapted their tactics, using shallow waters and nighttime raids to harass the Spanish, and how the loss of control over the lake hastened the city's fall. The conversation touches on the construction of the brigantines under Martín López, the role of the Tlaxcalan warriors in carrying them over the mountains, and the final desperate resistance led by Cuauhtémoc. Lucas also recounts the moment when the Mexica fleet was broken at the battle of the causeways, and reflects on what the siege reveals about the resilience and innovation of the Mexica people. #SiegeOfTenochtitlan #Mexica #Cortes #Cuauhtemoc #Brigantines #LakeTexcoco #WarCanoes #MartinLopez #Tlaxcala #Nahuatl #Mesoamerica #History #FexingoHistory #Aztec #ConquestOfMexico #MilitaryHistory #NavalWarfare #Siege Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo