Francisco Pizarro: Spanish Explorer and Conquistador Basic Information
Francisco Pizarro was born circa 1476 in Trujillo, Spain. The area where he was born was poverty-stricken, with less than standard housing and barely enough food to sustain their large family. His father, Captain Gonzalo Pizarro, was a poor farmer while his mother, Francisca Gonzalez, was of humble heritage. Francisco grew up herding his father’s pigs along with his five brothers and never learned how to read. As soon as he heard the craze over the new world, he instantly lusted for fortune and adventure. In 1509, he embarked on his first voyage, which was to Panama.
In 1510, he accompanied the Spanish explorer Alonzo de Ojeda on a voyage to Uraba, Colombia. Even though nothing of importance was discovered, he proved that he was reliable. Pizarro became friends with Vasco Nunes de Balboa. In 1513, he accompanied Balboa on his march to the “South Sea” across the Isthmus of Panama. On this voyage, he and Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean. Balboa allegedly spied it first, and was credited with the oceans 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.”(1)
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In 1537, Pizarro and Almagro became rivals because of the competition to be the best and accomplish the most. Almagro took over control of Cuzco after John Pizarro (one of Francisco’s half-brothers) was killed in a revolt. The argument between Almagro and Pizarro was because, Pizarro did not want Almagro to have the city that he conquered. Pizarro was too old to fight so he sent his brothers who defeated Almagro and got Cuzco back. “Upon the Pizarro brothers' victory, in 1538, Hernando Pizarro captured and executed Almagro. On June 26, 1541, in Lima, Peru, members of the defeated party avenged Almagro's death by assassinating Francisco