home

= __**Francisco Pizarro, Spanish Conquistador**__ = = = = = = = =__**toc ﻿Biography**__ =

 Francisco Pizzaro was a conquiestador, a Spanish soldier trained to "discover new lands for Spain, convert the natives to Christianity, and gain territory and profits." (Mountjoy, Shane. //Francisco Pizarro and the Conquest of the Inca//. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2006. Print page ) ﻿Sixty years before he defeated the Incan army, he was born into a huble, poor family. Pizzaro was born in southwest Spain in the 1470s. There are many stories about Francisco's early life ("i.e. his mother left him on the steps of a church, he lived with pigs and even nursed on a pig, or his grandparents raised him- the most likely tale" Ramen, Fred. //Francisco Pizarro: The Exploration of Peru and the Conquest of the Inca//. New York: Rosen Central, 2004. Print. page 14). He never attended school, he never learned to read or write, and as a boy he spent most of his time working as a swineherder. Pizzaro's father was a great Spanish gentleman named Gonzalo Pizzaro, who was a colonel in the Spanish Army and fought in many battles. Gonzalo Pizzaro was an officer who fought against the Moors, and he wasn't very close to his son. Pizzaro's mother was named Francisca Gonzalez, but his parents never married, which made Pizzaro an illegitimate child. He had three half-brothers named Hernando, Gonzalo, and Juan. Of these three, only Hernando was a legal heir. Pizzaro could not even inherit his father's title, only the legal heir could. Since he could not have legal rights to either a title or property, Pizzaro struggled to improve his status and the only ways during this time to do that were to marry into nobility, achieve some great victory in the military, or gain recognition as legitimate by the king. He decided to join the army in the 1490s. Francisco finally learned that in order to achieve greatness, you must conquer other people, and when Francisco arrived in the new world, he already had the training to conquer the Incas thirty years later.

=**__Pizzaro's Travels__** = On 13 February 1502, Pizarro sailed from Spain with the new Governor of Hispaniola, Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres, in thirty ships. It was the largest expedition that had ever traveled to the New World. The thirty ships carried 2,500 colonists. Pizzaro lived in Hispaniola, and became a land-owner there. He was known as a trustworthy, honest man. Later in 1513, Pizarro went with Vasco Núñez de Balboa on his expedition of crossing the Isthmus of Panama. They both became the first Europeans to view the Pacific coast of the New World. In 1514, Pedro Arias de Avila (Pedrarias) became the new governor of Castilla de Oro and succeeded Balboa. In the next five years, Pizarro became a good friend of Pedrarias de Avila, and the governor gave him the job of a //repartimiento,// a person in charge, of natives and cattle. When Pedrarias de Avila decided to get rid of Balboa because he didn't trust him, he told Pizarro to arrest him and bring him to a trial. Balboa was duly convicted and was beheaded in January of 1519. Since he was loyal to Pedrarias de Avila, Pizarro was given the important political position of mayor (Alcalde) and magistrate of, the then recently founded, Panama City from 1519 to 1523. When Pizzaro sailed to Peru, they first camped in Cajamaraca. They discovered the Inca Empire, where they were greeted by the Incas carrying food and goods. In Tumbez, the smallpox epidemic reached the region, killing Huayna Capac, the leader of the empire. So then, the sons, Huascar and Atahualpa ruled.Seven months later Pizzaro and his about 180 men stood at the edge of the mountains in South America because they were to fight for the land of the Incas, hoping to find gold and silver. They had to fight 50,000 Indians. He was choosing whether to fight or to turn back and he chose to fight. He caught one of the Incas' Emperors (Atahualpa) and he then controlled the Incan empire.

__Accomplishments__
Pizzaro accomplished many things for his side. He conquered the Incan army of 50,000 wariors with his 180 men, he took over the land of the Inca's therefore getting silver and gold, he spread Catholocism to a new land, and many other small details.



__**Timeline**__
__**﻿**__
 * 1) **1471: Born in Trujillo, Estremadura, Spain**
 * 2) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1509: Alonzo de Ojeda and Pizarro left from Spain, where Ojeda founded the city of San Sebastian on November 10.**
 * 3) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1513: Pizarro joined Nunez de Balboa, which was an expedition across the Isthmus of Panamaz. They discovered the Pacific Ocean on 29 September, 1513.**
 * 4) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1515: They traded with natives along the Pacific coast.**
 * 5) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1520: They joined Espinosa, who was on a trip to Republic of Costa Rica.**
 * 6) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1522: To explore the land of south Panama, Pizarro received funding for his expedition.**
 * 7) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1522: Pizarro found a small amount of gold at the coast of Colombia.**
 * 8) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1528:With two ships for the voyage into South America, he received backing of Spanish investors.**
 * 9) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1529: Pizarro explored the south of Columbia, Equador and eventually reached Peru.**
 * 10) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1529: In Spain, Pizarro gave an account of his expeditions.**
 * 11) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1529: Pizarro was granted permission to travel more places by Emperor Charles of Spain. He was titled Governor and Captain General.**
 * 12) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1530, January 18 he sailed from Seville in Spain to Panama**
 * 13) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1531, In January, they sailed from Panama in 3 ships with over 200 men, including Hernando De Soto.**
 * 14) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1532: In the San Mateo Bay, Pizarro explored the land.**
 * 15) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1532,15 November Pizarro captures Atahualpa in Cajamarca. Many of the Incas were killed.**
 * 16) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1533: Atahualpa offered massive amounts of gold in return for his release. He was still held captive.**
 * 17) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1534: Pizarro and his crew took the gold, but did not release Atahualpa. He strangled the last of the Incan Emperors.**
 * 18) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1535 6 January: When Pizarro founded Lima, Peru, he called it Ciudad de los Reyes meaning 'City of the Kings'**
 * 19) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1535: Cusco, the Incan capital, was destroyed by Pizarro.**
 * 20) <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">**1541: Because the followers of Pedro De Almagro (Cortes' captain) wanted Lima for it's wealth, they assassinated Pizarro. He died in Lima, Peru on June 26, 1541.**

= =

**__Hero? Not Hero? Why? Why Not?__**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 17pt; margin: 0in;">I do not think that Francisco Pizarro was a hero because he was greedy, ruthless, and a liar. During his expedition through Peru all he could think of was the treasures, he was not thinking about the people who inhabited the areas. When he first got to Peru and was searching the grounds he did not find the Inca people but once he got farther into Peru he and his crew were attacked by the Inca's. Pizarro got angry at the Inca's after they attacked him and his crew so, he went back to his country and then gathered a large army to attack the people that were just protecting themselves. They then surrounded the Inca's to do a siege. Once the city was completely cut off they attacked and killed a lot of the Inca people. Pizarro took the Inca's ruler and asked for a ludicrous ransom; a room filled with gold and another two rooms filled with silver. They gave him the ransom and then instead of giving their ruler back he chopped the ruler's head off. All in all I think that he was not a hero because he was cruel and disrespectful to other cultures.

__**<span style="color: #080808; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Maps and Photographs **__
<span style="color: #080808; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">Photograph. // Francisco Pizarro: Explorer //. Web. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/p/pizarro.shtml>.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">Photograph. // Map of Francisco Pizarro //. Web. <http://www.bakati.net/s~q-map-of-francisco-pizarro.aspx>.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">Photograph. // Rediscover Machu Piccha //. Web. <http://www.rediscovermachupicchu.com/spanish-conquest-colonization.htm>.



<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 5px 0px 0px 3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: -3em; word-wrap: break-word;">Photograph. // Hiren & Pankaj's Homepage //. Web. <http://www.hiren.info/desktop-wallpapers/natural-pictures/the-lost-city-of-the-incas_machu-picchu_peru>.

__**<span style="color: #080808; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sources **__

 * Mountjoy, Shane. //Francisco Pizarro and the Conquest of the Inca//. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Pub., 2006.
 * Ramen, Fred. //Francisco Pizarro: The Exploration of Peru and the Conquest of the Inca//. New York: Rosen Central, 2004.


 * Somervill, Barbara A. //Francisco Pizarro: Conqueror of the Incas//. Minneapolis, MN: Compass Point, 2005.
 * "Francisco Pizarro." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 04 May 2011. <[]>.
 * __Francisco Pizarro.__ 9 May 2011 <http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/francisco-pizarro.htm>.f