Francisco Pizarro Thesis

The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro is probably most well known for his conquest of the Incan Empire. Though his humble origins as an illegitimate son to a pig farmer should have normally left him in the lower class, Pizarro traveled to the New World and there acquired great wealth, eventually becoming governor of Lima, Peru, where he was assassinated by a competing family.

Francisco Pizarro was born c.1475 in the town of Trajillo. His father was Captain Gonzalo Pizarro, an impoverished farmer. His mother was Francisca González, a girl of humble birth. Pizarro was an illegitimate child of these two and grew up as a swineherd.

    In 1510, Francisco Pizarro left for the New World with Alonzo de Ojeda on a journey to Urabá in Columbia. Here he gained the reputation as hard and silent, but extremely trustworthy. This reputation earned him a job three years later as Captain under

the conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Together they sailed across the Panama Isthmus and are attributed with the European Discovery of the Pacific Ocean. Pizarro became mayor of Panamá, running the town from 1519 to 1523. Here he acquired a small fortune, almost foretelling the riches to come.
In 1523, being about forty-three years old, Francisco Pizarro led an expedition down the west coast of South America. With the help of a soldier, Diego de Almagro, and a priest, Hernando de Luque, Pizarro made his way down the Colombian Coastline. However, after discovering multiple problems, he sailed back to Panamá and planned a second trip. In 1525, Pizarro sailed down again, this time with another conquistador, Bartolomé Ruiz. Ruiz sailed ahead on this voyage and encountered a trading vessel with goods from Peru, including embellished fabrics and expensive metals. He returned to Pizarro with the news, and Almagro sailed back to Panama to get reinforcements. However, the new governor of Panamá sent Almagro back without help, ordering instead that Pizarro give up the expedition and return to Panamá.
Once Pizarro heard this, he is said to have drawn a line in the ground.

“Choose,” he said to his followers, “You may return to the poverty of Panama or cross this line and come with me through infinite dangers but eventual wealth.” (Biography.com Editors) Thirteen men, later deemed the “famous thirteen,” crossed the line, joining Pizarro. They sailed past Ecuador, exploring the Inca empire as well as obtaining some Incan artifacts. This newly discovered land they called Perú, probably after the river Virú.

    Francisco Pizarro returned to Panamá with these treasures, but the governor was still opposed to sending troops down the coast. In response, Pizarro sailed to Spain wanting to acquire a commission from Charles V himself. Through little persuasion, Charles V granted Pizarro the commission and a coat of arms. In 1529, Pizarro was made governor and captain general of New Castile, a colony approximately 600 miles south of Panama on the coast. Almagro and Luque were granted high ranking positions, and the “famous thirteen” obtained certain privileges and rights in the new

territories.
In January of 1531 Pizarro, with his four brothers, one hundred eighty men, and thirty-seven horses, sailed to Peru, later to be joined by two other ships. Later that year, Atahuallpa, emperor of the Incas, sent emissaries to make contact with the Spaniards. After some diplomacy, the two decided to meet in Cajamarca, a city with 30,000 Incan soldiers. Pizarro, on November 15, entered Cajamarca, set up his artillery, and ordered his brother Hernando with another Spaniard, to request an official interview with Atahuallpa. A day later, the Incan emperor, sitting upon a chair carried by some of his slaves, entered the city square with three thousand men. The Spanish priest Vicente de Valverde, ordered by Pizarro, approached Atahuallpa with the Bible, trying to encourage him to accept Christianity and Charles V as king. The Incan emperor argued with Valverde, eventually throwing the Bible onto the ground. Pizarro, after being told of the event by Valverde, ordered an attack. All the Incans in that square were killed except Atahualpa himself, who was put for ransom.
    At this time, the Spanish conquistadors thought particularly low of the native South Americans. The natives were seen more as potential slaves rather than actual human beings. In the Spanish view, the natives deserved to be conquered. They were heathenistic and, besides, their country was brimming with wealth. With this general attitude, Pizarro did not release Atahualpa even when the ransom was met. According to California State University Professor Roberto Cantu, a room approximately twenty-two feet by seventeen feet was loaded with gold and silver in exchange for Atahualpa's life. Instead, Pizarro executed the Incan emperor on the charge that he plotted against the the King of Spain.
    On hearing that their emperor was dead, the Inca armies around Cajamarca dispersed. Pizarro continued to the Inca capital Cuzco, which surrendered without a fight in 1533.
    Pizarro spent the rest of his life keeping the Spanish claim on Peru, ensuring that part of the wealth be distributed to himself and his brothers. However, Almagro and Hernando, seeing Pizarro’s great wealth and power, started disputing over spoil. The three eventually agreed to split the acquired riches equally. Almagro, still upset over the matter, captured Cusco for a time, but was