Question/Problem 2: Describe the reasons for and the outcomes of the European Explorers between 1492 and 1673.

Francisco Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Spain, in 1495. He was a farm boy with very little education. Pizarro ran away from home for adventure. When he arrived in the West Indies, the only possessions he had were his sword and his cloak. He wanted to become a conquistador. His bold, clever, and ruthless ways caught the attention of explorers. He was a member of the Ojeda expedition to the Columbian coast in 1509. Also, he sailed with Balboa's expedition which discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513. Pizarro settled in Panama.

Rumors were spreading about a treasure much greater than that of the Aztecs in Mexico. The Incas in Peru were reported to have more gold and silver than one could imagine. These stories motivated Pizarro to organize an expedition down the west coast of South America to find this wealth. The first expedition for Spain in 1524 turned out to be a failure, but this did not stop Pizarro. He got financial backing for his second expedition from the mayor of Panama in 1526. He was directed to conquer the In cas, take their wealth, and convert them to Christianity. After many months of hardships, Pizarro arrived at Tumbes on the gulf of Guayaquil. When Pizarro and his men went ashore, they were greeted by an Inca ambassador and taken through a town that wou ld compare with any in Spain. They saw the Temple of the Sun which was gold plated and surrounded by an artificial garden of trees and shrubs made of gold and silver with fruit and flowers made of precious gems. The Spaniards were overcome with greed, b ut knew they did not have the resources to conquer the Incas. In 1528, Pizarro decided to return to Spain and tell the King of his discoveries.

In 1531, Pizarro received funds and a charter of conquest from King Charles V to conquer Peru for its gold. Pizarro set sail southward from Panama. He had three ships, 200 men, including 27 horsemen. Pizarro had a few minor battles with the first India ns he encountered. Pizarro was able to take advantage of the civil war which had weakened the Incas because of internal fighting. His expedition marched through the high mountain passes of the Andes to the town of Cajamarca where the emperor, Atahualpa, lived. Pizarro boldly made camp in the large, central square. When the emperor came to see Pizarro, he saw only a Spanish priest carrying a Bible and an Indian interpreter. Pizarro and his men were concealed behind a wall. The priest told the emperor and his people that they must surrender to Spain and follow the religion of the Spaniards. The emperor threw the Bible on the ground. Pizarro and his soldiers attacked at once. It was a brutal battle that lasted about half an hour. The Spanish horsem en charged right into the square where the Incas were gathered and trampled many of them to death. The guns, cannons, and steel swords did the rest. Most of the leadership of the Incas was wiped out. Over 4,000 men of the great Inca Empire were dead. The Spaniards put the emperor, Atahualpa, on trial for his life. Pizarro judged him guilty and sentenced him to be burned at the stake. The emperor pleaded for mercy. Pizarro agreed on the condition that the emperor be baptized a Christian and promised that no blood would be shed. Immediately after the emperor was baptized, he was strangled to death in the public square on August 15, 1533.

Pizarro and his brothers continued to control the land of the Incas by treacherous and bloody means. Pizarro gained great wealth for Spain. Some say that by today's standards it would amount to over $100 million. By conquering Peru, Pizarro opened the western coast of South America for exploration.