History Extra podcast Tragedy and triumph: a 500-year history of Mexico
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Jan 5, 2026 Paul Gillingham, a Professor of Latin American history and author of *Mexico: A History*, takes listeners on a captivating journey through Mexico's complex 500-year tale. He discusses the chaotic Spanish conquest and the bittersweet effects of the U.S. defeat, while revealing the country's surprising status as one of the world's earliest democracies. Gillingham highlights Mexico's rich hybridity, the redistributive efforts of Pancho Villa, and challenges the negative narratives about its past, offering a nuanced view of national identity and legacy.
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Mexico As A Global Fusion
- Mexico emerges as a nation from the fusion of Europeans, Indigenous peoples, Africans and Asians after first contact.
- Paul Gillingham argues that ‘Mexicans’ as a label really begins in the early 16th century.
Parallel Young Empires
- Spain and the Mexica (Aztecs) were both young empires with striking structural similarities.
- Gillingham notes both used manifest-destiny myths, warrior saints, and labelled neighbors as "barbarians."
From Smash‑And‑Grab To Settlement
- Early Spanish arrivals sought quick wealth, especially gold, and intended to return home as aristocrats.
- Over time they settled because the gold supply disappointed and the Spanish cultural imperative to found towns took hold.
