El Dorado and the River of Despair

In the 1950s, two men tried to corner the market on onions on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and manipulate futures contracts. Then Congress took up legislation to expressly forbid contracts for the sale of onion futures. Research: Butz, Earl L. “VINCENT W KOSUGA, SAM S. SIEGEL, ... Show More

This 2022 episode covers Helen Duncan, sometimes described inaccurately as Scotland’s last witch, or the last person imprisoned for witchcraft in Britain, or the last person to be tried under the UK’s 1735 Witchcraft Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Tracy shares her surprise at discovering some of the details of Montague Summers's life. Holly talks about bickering within the Society for Psychical Research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

<p>Discover the true story behind the legend of El Dorado, a tale that has fascinated explorers and treasure hunters for centuries. We&apos;ll discuss the Muisca people&apos;s golden rituals, how the Spanish conquistadors embellished the myth, and the cultural misunderstandings t ... Show More

Enchanting stories about a lost city of gold captured the imaginations of European explorers, leading many across the globe in search of this legendary place. It was called "El Dorado." Explore the history, legends, and myths surrounding El Dorado tonight, as you drift off into a ... Show More

From the moment Europeans first set foot on what they would eventually call the Americas, their plundering was insatiable. Latin America and its riches crossed the Atlantic to enrich a few powerful people : land, ressources, forests, animals and humans were either exploited on th ... Show More

Join us as we delve into the enthralling legend of El Dorado, the mythical city rumored to be overflowing with gold. We explore its origins, the countless expeditions launched in pursuit of its treasures, and how it captivated the imaginations of explorers and historians alike. J ... Show More

“Anyone who even thinks of abandoning this mission will be cut up into a thousand pieces…I am the wrath of God!” At the height of the age of exploration, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, one story in particular gripped the imagination of European colonialists: El Do ... Show More

<p>For many, the word Inca conjures up images of an ancient civilisation in South America, swiftly conquered by the Spanish in their quest for gold and Christian converts.</p><br><p>In this episode of&nbsp;<em>Not Just the Tudors</em>, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb sets out to find ... Show More

[Summer of Epics]Many legends have been told about the gold of Pre-Columbian civilisations of the Americas. Imagine… Finding gold deep in the middle of the jungle is a dream that has long tantalized the Western world. The peoples of South America did leave traces and genuine trea ... Show More

Bonus: When Spanish conquistadors arrived in Peru in 1526, it was the beginning of the end for the Inca. Their bloody pursuit of gold, fame and fortune was rife with treachery and deceit. Within a few short years, the once-thriving Inca empire had been decimated. Tim Harford is j ... Show More

“Conquer or die! Conquer or die! Conquer or die!” Making a decision that will change the course of history, Hernán Cortés chooses to disobey his orders and head inland in search of the gold-rich empire of the mysterious Montezuma. Ahead lie the mountain passes that will lead him ... Show More

The obsession with gold has been a human weakness since the moment our ancestors first glimpsed its luminous surface. Tune in to learn about the latest golden discoveries unearthed at the Sanxingdui site.