# The Totonac of Cempoala: Cortés's First Major Indigenous Ally

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/the-totonac-of-cempoala-cort-s-s-first-major-indigenous-ally
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/the-totonac-of-cempoala-cort-s-s-first-major-indigenous-ally.md
Podcast: [The Conquistadors: Exploration, Greed, and Destruction — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470)
Published: 2026-07-21T02:52:33+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-conquistadors/episode-0167.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-conquistadors/episode-0167.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/episodes/the-totonac-of-cempoala-cort-s-s-first-major-indigenous-ally
Duration seconds: 374

## Resource

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal alliance between Hernán Cortés and the Totonac people of Cempoala, the first major indigenous group to side with the Spanish against the Aztec Empire. We trace the Totonac's motives: resentment of Aztec tribute demands, a strategic gamble to free themselves from Moctezuma's grip. Through firsthand accounts from Bernal Díaz del Castillo and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, we examine the dramatic meeting between Cortés and the Cacique Gordo, the Totonac decision to imprison Aztec tribute collectors, and the battle of Cempoala that cemented the alliance. We also discuss how this partnership provided Cortés with thousands of warriors, supplies, and a beachhead at Veracruz, and how the Totonac's support shaped the course of the conquest. Finally, we consider the aftermath: how the Totonac fared under Spanish rule and their legacy in modern Veracruz. #Cempoala #Totonac #CaciqueGordo #HernánCortés #AztecEmpire #MoctezumaXocoyotzin #BernalDíazDelCastillo #LienzoDeTlaxcala #Veracruz #SpanishConquest #IndigenousAlliance #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #Tribute #Cacique #History #FexingoHistory #16thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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