S4E200 - The First Brothels in New Spain: Prostitution and Power

In this episode of The Conquistadors, Lucas and Luna explore the hidden world of prostitution in early colonial Mexico. After the fall of Tenochtitlan, Spanish authorities established licensed brothels in Mexico City and other urban centers, aiming to control the sexual behavior of both Spanish settlers and Indigenous women. Drawing on the records of the Real Audiencia and the writings of chroniclers like Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, the episode traces how these institutions intersected with the encomienda system, casta hierarchies, and the spread of syphilis. It also examines the lives of women who w...