The History of Texas

Justin Day

The History of Texas is a chronological narrative podcast telling the story of Texas from the ancient past to the modern age. Hosted by Justin Day, the show follows the people, cultures, conflicts, frontiers, disasters, victories, and contradictions that shaped Texas long before and long after it had a name. Support the show and find more links: https://linktr.ee/texasruneforge

  1. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus Campfire Story 1 - La Llorona: The Woman Who Wept Before the Spanish Conquest

    Before Hernán Cortés marched into the heart of the Aztec Empire, a woman's cries were said to echo through the streets of Tenochtitlan. She wandered in the darkness, weeping for her children and warning of a terrible fate awaiting them. Years later, Spanish and Indigenous accounts would preserve the story among the omens said to have foretold the destruction of the Aztec world. Was she a goddess? A warning of the coming conquest? Or an early echo of the terrifying figure later generations would know as La Llorona, the Weeping Woman? Tonight, on Campfire Stories, we explore the legend, the historical accounts behind it, and the tragedy that gave these ancient cries new meaning. 🔥 Campfire Stories is a bonus series from The History of Texas, exploring the darker, stranger, and more mysterious corners of history. Enjoying these stories? We release a new Campfire Story every week exclusively for our Ko-fi supporters, with occasional stories like this one available to everyone. Join us on Ko-fi to hear them all and help keep the history coming. Keep your fire fed, and your eyes on the darkness beyond it. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!

    Bonus Campfire Story 1 - La Llorona: The Woman Who Wept Before the Spanish Conquest

  2. Oct 30

    Episode 19 - The Long Way to Mexico | De Soto Expedition Finale

    Hernando de Soto is dead. His army is stranded deep in North America. And the survivors have one question left: How do we get home? In the conclusion of our nine-part De Soto expedition series, Luis de Moscoso leads the remaining conquistadors westward through East Texas, hoping to reach the Spanish settlements of New Spain. But hostile encounters, dwindling food supplies, and unreliable guides force the expedition to abandon its overland escape. The survivors return to the Mississippi River, build seven makeshift boats, and embark on a desperate voyage toward Mexico. Along the way, they face attacks from Native war canoes, violent storms, and the dangerous waters of the Gulf Coast. After more than four years of marching, fighting, and struggling to survive, the expedition finally reaches its end in 1543. Coming next: A special De Soto Q&A, an interview with historian David Carson, and the beginning of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition. Have questions about the De Soto expedition? Email HistoryOfTexasOfficial@gmail.com. Frontier Scouts and higher-tier Ko-fi supporters receive priority consideration. Support independent Texas history and unlock exclusive weekly Campfire Stories:https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexas Visit our website for written editions and sources:https://historyoftexaspodcast.com Sponsors: Texas Rune Forge: https://texasruneforge.com Fiscal Fairy Bookkeeping: https://thefiscalfairy.com Thank you for listening to The History of Texas! Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

  3. Oct 23

    Episode 18 - The River That Buried De Soto

    The army that survived Mabila is falling apart. In the winter of 1541, Hernando de Soto's expedition faces freezing temperatures, dwindling supplies, and growing resistance from the Native peoples whose lands the Spaniards have invaded. A devastating nighttime attack at Chicaza leaves the conquistadors scrambling to survive. Still determined to find wealth and glory, De Soto pushes westward, crossing the Mississippi River and entering a world of powerful Indigenous chiefdoms, dangerous political rivalries, and increasingly desperate circumstances. But the expedition's greatest losses are still ahead. The death of interpreter Juan Ortiz threatens the Spaniards' ability to communicate, and De Soto himself falls gravely ill. On May 21, 1542, Hernando de Soto dies. His surviving men secretly surrender his body to the Mississippi River. Now, under the command of Luis de Moscoso, the remnants of the expedition must find a way home. Their next destination will take them into present-day Texas. Join Justin Day for Episode 18 of The History of Texas, as we follow the final chapter of De Soto's extraordinary and devastating expedition. Learn more: https://historyoftexaspodcast.com Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  YouTube Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

  4. Oct 16

    Episode 17 - The Burning of Mabila

    On October 18, 1540, Hernando de Soto marched into the fortified town of Mabila, despite warnings that warriors were gathering inside. What followed was one of the bloodiest battles of the entire expedition. In this episode of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto's army through the powerful chiefdom of Coosa and into the territory of Tascalusa, a Native ruler who refused to surrender his people's freedom. A confrontation at Mabila erupts into hours of desperate fighting, leaving the town in flames, thousands reportedly dead, and the Spanish expedition devastated. With winter approaching, wounded soldiers, and much of his equipment destroyed, De Soto faces a decision that will determine the fate of his expedition. Explore written episodes and historical sources at https://historyoftexaspodcast.com. Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Hosted by Justin Day. Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

  5. Oct 9

    Episode 16 - The Lady of Cofitachequi

    Hernando de Soto’s expedition pushes deeper into the Southeast in search of wealth, food, and the powerful province of Cofitachequi. There, the Spaniards encounter one of the most memorable figures of the entire expedition: the Lady of Cofitachequi. She arrives in ceremony, welcomes the newcomers, and presents them with pearls. But what begins as hospitality quickly turns into something far darker. As De Soto searches the province for treasure and supplies, the Lady finds herself traveling with an army she never asked to join. Her story becomes one of diplomacy, exploitation, captivity, and an extraordinary attempt to escape. In Episode 16 of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto into the Carolinas, examine the wealth and power of Cofitachequi, and meet the woman whose encounter with the expedition became one of the defining episodes of the journey. Subscribe for more episodes as we continue following the De Soto expedition toward Texas. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. #TexasHistory #HernandoDeSoto #Cofitachequi #NativeAmericanHistory #HistoryPodcast

  6. Oct 2

    Episode 15 - The Bay of Horses

    In the winter of 1539, Hernando de Soto’s expedition made a discovery on the Florida coast that connected his journey directly to the disaster that had come before him. South of Anhaica, Spanish scouts found cut timber, feeding troughs, and the skulls of horses. They had reached the place where, eleven years earlier, the survivors of Pánfilo de Narváez’s expedition had slaughtered their horses and built the crude boats that carried them into the Gulf of Mexico. It was the beginning of the journey that eventually brought Cabeza de Vaca to Texas. But De Soto did not see the remains of Narváez’s failure as a warning. Instead, new stories of a wealthy country ruled by a woman drew him farther inland. In Episode 15 of The History of Texas, we follow De Soto through the winter in Apalachee, uncover the story behind the Bay of Horses, and begin the expedition’s march northeast toward Georgia and the mysterious Lady of Cofitachequi. 🎙️ The History of Texas tells the story of Texas chronologically, from the people and expeditions that shaped its earliest recorded history to the creation of the Lone Star State. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

  7. Sep 25

    Episode 14 - A Country That Would Not Yield

    De Soto’s army has survived Napituca, but the road ahead only gets harder. In Episode 14, the expedition pushes deeper into northern Florida, crossing the Suwannee and moving through Uçachile toward Apalachee country. The Spaniards encounter abandoned settlements, burned towns, difficult river crossings, and resistance from people determined to make every mile costly. By the time De Soto reaches Anhaica, near modern Tallahassee, he has found a place to spend the winter. But occupying Apalachee territory is very different from controlling it. And although Texas still lies far to the west, the expedition we are following will eventually carry the consequences of this campaign all the way there. Read written editions and explore the sources:  HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com  Support The History of Texas:  Ko-fi  Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history.  Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:  Shop the shirt on Etsy  Our sponsors:  For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:  TheFiscalFairy.com  Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:  TexasRuneForge.com  Follow The History of Texas:  Spotify  Apple Podcasts  Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas.  Thank you for listening!  Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

  8. Sep 18

    Episode 13 - The Trap at Napituca

    Men hiding beneath water-lily leaves. Horsemen riding into dark ponds. A standoff that lasts through the night. In Episode 13, The Trap at Napituca, Hernando de Soto’s march through Florida erupts into violence. Drawing on the surviving accounts, we follow the fighting, the desperate attempts to escape, and the mass capture that follows. Ahead lies Apalachee country, where the Spaniards will face a population determined to make them pay for every mile. Read written editions and explore the sources:HistoryOfTexasPodcast.com Support The History of Texas:Ko-fi Your support helps me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas history. Get the official History of Texas podcast shirt:Shop the shirt on Etsy Our sponsors: For stress-free business bookkeeping, visit The Fiscal Fairy:TheFiscalFairy.com Western grit. Nordic spirit. Explore Texas Rune Forge:TexasRuneForge.com Follow The History of Texas: Spotify Apple Podcasts Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating or review wherever your platform allows, and subscribe on YouTube. It helps new listeners discover The History of Texas. Thank you for listening! Music: “Anamalie” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

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3.6
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7 Ratings

About

The History of Texas is a chronological narrative podcast telling the story of Texas from the ancient past to the modern age. Hosted by Justin Day, the show follows the people, cultures, conflicts, frontiers, disasters, victories, and contradictions that shaped Texas long before and long after it had a name. Support the show and find more links: https://linktr.ee/texasruneforge

Information

  • Creator
    Justin Day
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Justin Day
  • Show Website
    The History of Texas

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