The Spanish didn't defeat the Inca Empire at its height. They arrived after a smallpox epidemic killed the emperor and a subsequent brutal civil war between his sons shattered the empire. This left the civilization politically fractured and militarily exhausted, making it ripe for conquest by a small force.

Latin America's strong legal commitment to national sovereignty and non-intervention was not an abstract ideal developed in a vacuum. It was a pragmatic and principled response, forged over centuries of living next to the United States as it expanded, conquered territory, and asserted its dominance across the hemisphere.

Francisco Pizarro's initial success was built on a partnership with Diego de Almagro. By negotiating a vastly superior royal deal for himself, he sowed the seeds of a bitter rivalry. This internal feud between the co-founders would fester and ultimately prove fatal to their entire enterprise and their lives.

Facing mutiny, Francisco Pizarro drew a line in the sand, offering a stark choice between returning to poverty or pursuing riches through extreme hardship. This dramatic act served as a powerful filter, weeding out the uncommitted and forging an intensely loyal core group—the "Famous 13"—who would stick with him through anything.

Contrary to the myth of the patriotic pioneer, figures like Daniel Boone were primarily loyal to their family clans and economic opportunities, not the American nation. Frustrated with the U.S. government, Boone renounced America and swore allegiance to the Spanish crown in exchange for land.

Conquistador expeditions were entrepreneurial ventures, not state campaigns. Leaders like Pizarro formed partnerships, raised private funds, and invested in high-risk "island hopping" operations hoping for massive returns. This model privatized both the risk of failure and the rewards of success, mirroring modern venture capital.

Despite building a massive, highly organized empire, the Incas had no written language. This means nearly everything known about their history and culture was recorded by the Spanish after the conquest. Their entire legacy is therefore filtered through the lens of their destroyers, creating a fundamentally biased historical record.

Francisco Pizarro's invasion of Peru was heavily influenced by the recent success of his cousin, Hernán Cortés, in Mexico. The fall of the Aztecs provided a tangible model for conquest, proving that small bands of conquistadors could topple vast empires. This precedent made it easier for Pizarro to secure funding and royal support.

The presiding judge, Pierre Cauchon, went to great lengths to follow established inquisitorial rules. Knowing the trial would attract massive international attention, he aimed to create a legally sound verdict that would appear legitimate and unassailable to hostile observers, making it far more than a simple show trial.