Francisco Pizarro Biography u3k4y

FRANCISCO PIZARRO BIOGRAPHY Spanish explorer and conquistador Francisco Pizarro helped Vasco Núñez de Balboa discover the Pacific Ocean, and after conquering Peru, founded its capital city, Lima. Synopsis Francisco Pizarro was born circa 1476 in Trujillo, Spain. In 1513, he ed Vasco Núñez de Balboa in his march to the "South Sea," during which Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean. In 1532, Pizarro and his brothers conquered Peru. Three years later, Pizarro founded the nation's new capital, Lima. Pizarro was assassinated on June 26, 1541, in Lima, Peru, by vengeful of an enemy faction of conquistadors. Early Years Conquistador Francisco Pizarro was born, an illegitimate child, circa 1476, in Trujillo, Spain—an area stricken by poverty. His father, Captain Gonzalo Pizarro, was a poor farmer. His mother, Francisca González, was of humble heritage. Pizarro grew up without learning how to read. Instead, he herded his father's pigs. As young man, Pizarro heard tales of the New World and was seized by a lust for fortune and adventure. In 1510, he accompanied Spanish explorer Alonzo de Ojeda on a voyage to Urabá, Colombia. Although the expedition was unfruitful, Pizarro proved he could be relied on in a bind. March to the Sea In 1513, Pizarro ed conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa in his march to the "South Sea," across the Isthmus of Panama. During their journey, Balboa and Pizarro discovered what is now known as the Pacific Ocean, although Balboa allegedly spied it first, and was therefore credited with the ocean's first European discovery. Ironically, Pizarro later arrested Balboa under the orders of Pedro Arias de Ávila (also known as Pedrarias), Balboa's rival and a known tyrant. Afterward, Pizarro stayed in Panama for a time, where he was awarded an estate, served as mayor of Panama City and amassed a small fortune. Reconnaissance Voyages In 1524, Pizarro teamed up with navigator Diego de Almagro and a priest named Fernando de Luque. The first of their reconnaissance voyages went as far as the San Juan River. The next gave Pizarro the chance to explore further south along the coast. In the meantime, Pizarro's chief navigator, Bartolomé Ruiz, forged across the equator and then returned with word of those regions south of the equator.

Conquering Peru In 1528, Pizarro went back to Spain and managed to procure a commission from Emperor Charles V. Pizarro was to conquer the southern territory and establish a new Spanish province there. In 1532, accompanied by his brothers, Pizarro overthrew the Inca leader Atahualpa and conquered Peru. Three years later, he founded the new capital city of Lima. Over time, tensions increasingly built up between the conquistadors who had originally conquered Peru and those who arrived later to stake some claim in the new Spanish province. As a result, conquistadors were torn into two factions—one run by Pizarro, and the other by his former associate, Diego Almagro. After taking Cuzco, Almagro engaged Pizarro and his brothers in the Battle of Las Salinas. Upon the Pizarro brothers' victory, in 1538, Hernando Pizarro captured and executed Almagro. On June 26, 1541, in Lima, Peru, of the defeated party avenged Almagro's death by assassinating Francisco Pizarro.

HERNÁN CORTÉS BIOGRAPHY Hernán Cortés, marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, was a Spanish conquistador who overthrew the Aztec empire and won Mexico for the crown of Spain. Synopsis Born around 1485, Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who defeated the Aztec empire and claimed Mexico for Spain. He first set sail to the New World at the age of 19. Cortés later ed an expedition to Cuba. In 1518, he set off to explore Mexico. There he strategically aligned some native peoples against others to overthrow them. King Charles I appointed him governor of New Spain in 1522. Cortés died in Spain in 1547. Early Life Hernán Cortés, marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, was born around 1485 in Medellín, Spain, and helped advance Spain's position in North America in the 1500s. He came from a lesser noble family in Spain. Some reports indicate that he studied at the University of Salamanca for a time. In 1504, Cortés left Spain to seek his fortune in New World. He traveled to the island of Santo Domingo, or Hispaniola. Settling in the new town of Azúa, Cortés served as a notary for several years. He ed an expedition of Cuba led by Diego Velázquez in 1511. There, Cortés worked in the civil government and served as the mayor of Santiago for a time.

Conquered the Aztecs In 1518, Cortés was to command his own expedition to Mexico, but Velázquez canceled it. Cortés ignored the order and set sail for Mexico with more than 500 men and 11 ships that fall. In February 1519, the expedition reached the Mexican coast. Cortés became allies with some of the native peoples he encountered, but with others he used deadly force to conquer Mexico. He fought Tlaxacan and Cholula warriors and then set his sights on taking over the Aztec empire. He marched to Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital and home to ruler Montezuma II. Cortés took Montezuma hostage and his soldiers raided the city. Cortés left the city after learning that Spanish troops were coming to arrest him for disobeying orders. After facing off against Spanish forces, Cortés returned to Tenochtitlán to find a rebellion in progress. The Aztecs eventually drove the Spanish from the city, but Cortés returned again to defeat them and take the city in 1521. King Charles I of Spain (also known as Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) appointed him the governor of New Spain the following year. Later Years After his victory over the Aztecs, Cortés faced challenges to his authority and position. He traveled to Honduras in 1524 to stop a rebellion against him in the area. Back in Mexico, Cortés found himself removed from power. He traveled to Spain to plead his case to the king, but he was not reappointed to his governorship. In 1540, Cortés retired to Spain. He spent much of his later years seeking recognition for his achievements and from the Spanish royal court. Cortés died in Spain in 1547.

PEDRO DE ALVARADO BIOGRAPHY Spanish conquistador Pedro De Alvarado was known for his skill as a soldier and for his cruelty to the native populations of Mexico. Synopsis Pedro de Alvarado (1485-1541) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the Conquest of the Aztecs in Central Mexico in 1519 and led the Conquest of the Maya in 1523. Referred to as "Tonatiuh" or "Sun God" by the Aztecs because of his blonde hair and white skin, Alvarado was violent, cruel and ruthless, even for a conquistador for whom such traits were practically a given. After the Conquest of Guatemala, he served as governor of the region, although he continued to campaign until his death in 1541.

Early Life Pedro's exact year of birth is unknown: it was probably some time between 1485 and 1495. Like many conquistadores, he was from the province of Extremadura: in his case, he was born in the city of Badajoz. Like many younger sons of minor nobility, Pedro and his brothers could not expect much in the way of an inheritance: they were expected to become priests or soldiers, as working the land was considered beneath them. In about 1510 he went to the New World with several brothers and an uncle: they soon found work as soldiers in the various expeditions of conquest that originated on Hispaniola, including the brutal conquest of Cuba. Personal Life and Appearance Alvarado was blond and fair, with blue eyes and pale skin that fascinated the natives of the New World. He was considered affable by his fellow Spaniards and the other conquistadores trusted him. He married twice: first to a Spanish noblewoman, Francisca de la Cueva, who was related to the powerful Duke of Albuquerque, and then later, after her death, to Beatriz de la Cueva, who survived him and briefly became governor in 1541. His longtime native companion, Doña Luisa Xicotencatl, was a Tlaxcalan Princess given to him by the lords of Tlaxcala when they made an alliance with the Spanish. He had no legitimate children, but did father several bastards. Alvarado and the Conquest of the Aztecs In 1518, Hernán Cortés mounted an expedition to explore and conquer the mainland: Alvarado and his brothers quickly signed on. Alvarado's leadership was recognized early on by Cortés, who put him in charge of ships and men. He would eventually become Cortés' right-hand man. As the conquistadores moved into central Mexico and a showdown with the Aztecs, Alvarado proved himself time and again as a brave, capable soldier, even if he did have a noticeable cruel streak. Cortés often entrusted Alvarado with important missions and reconnaissance. After the conquest of Tenochtitlán, Cortés was forced to head back to the coast to face Pánfilo de Narváez, who had brought soldiers from Cuba to take him into custody. Cortés left Alvarado in charge while he was gone. The Temple Massacre In Tenochtitlán (Mexico City), tensions were high between the natives and the Spanish. The noble class seethed at the audacious invaders, who were laying claim to their wealth, property and women. On May 20, 1520, the nobles gathered for their traditional celebration of Toxcatl. They had already asked Alvarado for

permission, which he had granted. Alvarado heard rumors that the Mexica were going to rise up and slaughter the intruders during the festival, so he ordered a preemptive attack. His men slaughtered thousands of unarmed nobles at the Festival. According the Spanish, they slaughtered the nobles because they had proof that the festivities were a prelude to an attack designed to kill all of the Spanish in the city: the Aztecs claim the Spanish only wanted the golden ornaments many of the nobility were wearing. No matter what the cause, the Spanish fell on the unarmed nobles, slaughtering thousands. The Noche Triste Cortés returned and quickly tried to restore order, but it was in vain. The Spanish were under a state of siege for several days before they sent Emperor Moctezuma to speak to the crowd: according to the Spanish , he was killed by stones thrown by his own people. With Moctezuma dead, the attacks increased until the night of June 30, when the Spanish tired to sneak out of the city under cover of darkness. They were discovered and attacked: dozens were killed as they attempted to escape, laden down with treasures. During the escape, Alvarado allegedly made a mighty leap from one of the bridges: for a long time afterwards, the bridge was known as "Alvarado's Leap." Guatemala and the Maya Cortés, with the help of Alvarado, was able to regroup and retake the city, setting himself up as governor. More Spanish arrived to help colonize, govern and rule the remnants of the Aztec Empire. Among the loot discovered were ledgers of sorts detailing tribute payments from neighboring tribes and cultures, including several considerable payments from a culture known as the K'iche far to the south. A message was sent to the effect that there had been a change in management in Mexico City but the payments should continue. Predictably, the fiercely independent K'iche ignored it. Cortés selected Pedro de Alvarado to head south and investigate, and in 1523 he gathered up 400 men, many of whom had horses, and several thousand native allies. They headed south, delirious with dreams of plunder. The Conquest of Utatlán Cortés had been successful because of his ability to turn Mexican ethnic groups against one another, and Alvarado had learned his lessons well. The K'iche, at home in the city of Utatlán near present-day Quetzaltenango in Guatemala, were by far the strongest of the kingdoms in the lands that had once been home to the Mayan Empire. Cortés quickly made an alliance with the Kaqchikel, traditional bitter enemies of the K'iche. All of Central America had been devastated by disease in the previous years, but the K'iche were still able to put 10,000 warriors into the field, led by K'iche warlord Tecún Umán. The Spanish routed the K'iche in

February of 1524 at the battle of El Pinal, ending the greatest hope of large-scale native resistance in Central America. Conquest of the Maya With the mighty K'iche defeated and their capital city of Utatlán in ruins, Alvarado simply had to pick off the remaining kingdoms one by one. By 1532 all of the major kingdoms had fallen, and their people had been given by Alvarado to his men as virtual slaves. Even the Kaqchikels were rewarded with slavery. Alvarado was named governor of Guatemala and established a city there, near the site of present-day Antigua. He served as Governor for seventeen years. Further Adventures Alvarado was not content to sit idly in Guatemala counting his newfound wealth. He would abandon his duties as governor from time to time in search of more conquest and adventure. Hearing of the great wealth in the Andes, he set out with ships and men to conquer Quito: when he arrived, it had already been captured by Sebastian de Benalcazar on behalf of the Pizarro brothers. Alvarado considered fighting the other Spaniards for it, but in the end allowed them to buy him off. He was named the Governor of Honduras and occasionally went there to enforce his claim. He also returned to Mexico to campaign in the Mexican northwest. This would prove the end of him: in 1541 he died in present-day Michoacán when a horse rolled over on him during a battle with natives. Alvarado's Cruelty and Las Casas All of the conquistadores were ruthless, cruel and bloodthirsty, but Pedro de Alvarado was in a class by himself. He ordered massacres of women and children, razed entire villages, enslaved thousands and threw natives to his dogs when they displeased him. When he decided to go to the Andes, he took with him thousands of Central American natives to work and fight for him: most of them died en route or once they got there. Alvarado's singular inhumanity drew the attention of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, the enlightened Dominican who was the Great Defender of the Indians. In 1542, Las Casas wrote "A Short History of the Destruction of the Indies" in which he rails against the abuses committed by the conquistadores. Although he did not mention Alvarado by name, he clearly referred to him: "This man in the space of fifteen years, which was from the year 1525 to 1540, together with his associates, massacred no less then five millions of men, and do daily destroy those that are yet remaining. It was the custom of this Tyrant, when he made war upon any Town or Country, to carry along with him as many as he could of the subdued Indians, compelling them to make war upon their Countrymen, and when he had ten or twenty thousand men in his service, because he could not give them provision, he permitted them to eat the flesh of those

Indians that they had taken in war: for which cause he had a kind of shambles in his Army for the ordering and dressing of mans' flesh, suffering Children to be killed and boiled in his presence. The men they killed only for their hands and feet, for those they ed dainties." Legacy of Pedro de Alvarado Alvarado is best ed in Guatemala, where he is even more reviled than is Hernán Cortés in Mexico (if such a thing is possible). His K'iche opponent, Tecún Umán, is a national hero whose likeness appears on the ½ Quetzal note. Even today, Alvarado's cruelty is legendary: Guatemalans who do not know much about their history will recoil at his name. Mostly he is ed as the most vicious of the conquistadores if he is ed at all. Still, there is no denying that Alvarado had a profound effect on the history of Guatemala and Central America in general, even if most of it was negative. The villages and towns he gave away to his conquistadores formed the basis for current municipal division in some cases, and his experiments with moving conquered people around resulted in some cultural exchange among the Maya.