Some of the Names of the most important conquerors of America Were Christopher Columbus, Francisco Pizarro, Núñez de Balboa or Hernán Cortés.
The conquest of America was a process that began with the first expeditions to the continent. The first to explore this territory was Christopher Columbus, who arrived in America in 1492 when he was searching for another route to Asia.
Shortly after the voyages of Columbus, new expeditions were made. For example, from 1497 to 1513, Américo Vespucio (Italian explorer and cartographer), sponsored by Portugal, made a series of expeditions that allowed him to determine that Columbus had reached a new continent.
Before Vespucci discovered this, the explorers considered that the new territory was part of Asia. This is why, in his honor, the new territory was called America.
Other expeditions aimed at the conquest of the American territories. For example, the Inca empires, Azteca and Maya Were conquered in the XVI century by the Spaniards.
List with the names of the most important conquerors of America
1- Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born in Spain, possibly in 1475. Vasco Núñez's family did not possess wealth, which is why he worked as a young man in the south of Spain in the houses of noble men.
Many of the ships that went to the New World stopped in this zone to collect provisions, being like Nunez de Balboa came in contact with the idea to go towards America and, in 1501, enlisted in an expedition that had destiny America from the south.
The expedition explored the coastal zones of what is now known as Colombia. However, they could not be established here because they did not have the necessary provisions. For this reason, they went to Hispaniola (now Cuba and Haiti).
De Balboa tried to settle in the colony, but his business ideas failed. Indebted, he decided to escape to San Sebastian by boarding a boat in a stowaway condition. Already at sea, De Balboa convinced the captain of the ship that his experience in the South of America could prove fruitful for the expedition.
When they arrived in San Sebastian, they discovered that the Spaniards had left this colony because of the continuous attacks of the Native Americans.
Advised by De Balboa, the members of the expedition moved the colony to the west, where there were more fertile lands. In this area, they had to fight against a group of natives.
The Spaniards were victorious and created the first permanent establishment on the continental lands of South America: Santa Maria.
In reward for his leadership, Vasco Nunez was appointed Governor of Santa Maria. As governor, he established reciprocal relations with some natives and explored the west coast of South America.
Similarly, in 1513, crossed the isthmus of Panama, giving rise to the first exploration of the Pacific Ocean (formerly called South Sea) by the Europeans.
Vasco Núñez represented an important figure for the Spanish crown because, thanks to his explorations, Spain extended its control towards the Pacific Ocean and the territories near this one.
In 1514, he returned to Santa Maria and discovered that during his absence he had been replaced by Pedro Arias. In 1517, De Balboa was accused of wanting to take control of the South Sea, being guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
2 - Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés is one of the most important figures in the conquest of America. Under his leadership, the expedition was carried out which would result in the fall of the Aztec Empire.
In 1518, Cortes departed from Hispaniola with 600 men on an expedition that sought to conquer the Aztec Empire. In 1519, Cortes arrived at the coast of the territory that today is known as Mexico. He realized that it was necessary to have native allies because he had only 530 men capable of fighting; However, in order to establish alliances, he needed to know the language of the tribes, the Nahuatl .
Fortunately for Cortes, a Mayan chieftain gave him a woman as a"gift", Malintzin (Known by the Spaniards as"La Malinche").
Malintzin was an Aztec woman who had been sold to the Maya as a slave, so she could speak nahualt. This woman learned Spanish easily and thus began to play the role of interpreter between Cortes and the Tlaxcala (Aztec tribe).
With the help of the Tlaxcala, Hernan Cortes conquered Mexican territory in only three years (1519-1521).
3- Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish explorer and conqueror who was born in 1476, in Trujillo, Extremadura. It is known for having conquered the territory occupied by the Inca Empire, now known as Peru. Little is known of his early years and he is believed to be an illiterate man.
In 1502 he went to America in search of new opportunities and settled in Central America, specifically in the territory that is now known as Panama. In 1513, he participated in the expedition to the Pacific directed by Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
In 1524 and 1526, he attempted to make expeditions into Inca territory; However, these did not work. In 1531, he went to the Peruvian territory, this time accompanied by 200 men.
This expedition resulted in the defeat of the Incas and the execution of Atahualpa, the emperor (1533). Subsequently, he was in charge of the construction of the capital city: Lima.
Shortly after the installation of the capital city, Pizarro and his men faced Diego Almagro , Another Spanish explorer interested in the Inca territory. The conflict resulted in Pizarro's victory. Almagro, for his part, was executed in 1538. Three years later, in 1541, Pizarro was assassinated by the followers of Almagro.
Other conquerors
- Pedro Álvares Carval, conqueror of Brazil.
- Pedro Alvarado, conqueror of the Maya Empire. He took advantage of the rivalries between the tribes to be able to win.
- Juan Ponce de León, conqueror of Puerto Rico (1508) and Florida, USA. (1513).
- Hernán de Soto, conqueror of the South of the United States (1542).
- Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, conqueror of Arizona and New Mexico, USA. (1542).
- Pedro de Valdivia, conqueror of Chile.
- Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, conqueror of Venezuela and Colombia.
References
- Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Conquest of America. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, donqujote.org.
- Amerigo Vespucci: Facts, Biography & Naming of America. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, livescience.com.
- Spanish Conquistadors. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, from elizabethan-era.org.
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, from intranet.paulding.k12.ga.us.
- Defining Heroes and Villains: The Legacy of Hernando Cortes and the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, from lanic.utexas.edu.
- Francisco Pizarro. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, from biography.com.
- Francisco Pizarro. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, from www.infoplease.com.
- Latin America History: The Conquistadors. Retrieved on March 2, 2017, from latinamericanhistory.about.com