Age of Discovery

In the second episode of this Portugal mini-series, Tom and Dominic discuss the Portuguese setting sail for far flung reaches of the world, their relationship with Philip II of Spain, and the impact o…

Having convinced the Catholic Monarchs to fund his journey across the Atlantic, Columbus sets sail with three ships, a crew with dubious loyalties, and a mission to find China or Japan by heading west…

Columbus returns to the remnants of his first voyage to the "Indies", having convinced Isabella and Ferdinand to fund a larger second trip. Desperate to make his mission financially fruitful, his sear…

Christopher Columbus caused debate in his own time, and remains a controversial figure today: some argue he initiated both the Atlantic slave trade and the genocide of the Native Americans, others lau…

The greatest sea explorer of all time, James Cook was born to a humble Yorkshire family, and first stood out for his talents as a cartographer for the Royal Navy in Newfoundland. He would go on to lea…

“The blood flowed like water…” It is 1520 and word has reached Hernán Cortés in Tenochtitlan that another group of Spaniards led by the ferocious Pánfilo de Narváez, have landed on the coast to hu…

Why was the Spanish conquest of the Incas one of the most pivotal moments in world history? Who was Francisco Pizarro, the buccaneer behind this bloody event? And, what was the glittering Incan Empire…

What happened when the Spanish conquistadors lead by Francisco Pizarro came face to face with the ruthless emperor of the Incan Empire, Atahualpa? How did the Incas treat their strange, pale, alien vi…

What happened to the emperor of the Incas after he was taken prisoner by the Spanish conquistadors? Did the formidable buccaneer, Francisco Pizarro, and his men succeed in discovering the treasure tro…