Francisco Pizarro

A man named Pizarro was born in Spain. He was from a poor family.

He wanted to find riches in a new land.

He went on trips to find gold. Two of his trips did not work.

On his third trip, he was successful.

He found a land with a big empire. He met the leader of that land.

The leader had much gold.

Because of this, Pizarro took over the land. He built a new city named Lima. He also built a city named San Miguel.

Life changed a lot for the people there. Pizarro's life ended in a fight for power.

Francisco Pizarro was born in Spain to a poor family.

He grew up without a school. He wanted to find wealth in the New World.

Pizarro went on three trips to South America. The first two trips failed. On his second trip, he saw gold and silver on a raft.

He also saw llamas. He called these animals "little camels."

On his third trip, Pizarro was successful. He went to the Inca Empire. He met the Inca leader, Atahualpa.

Atahualpa filled a room with gold to buy his freedom. But Pizarro still killed the leader in 1533.

Pizarro took control of the land. He built the city of Lima in 1535.

His rule was not peaceful. Pizarro died in 1541 during a fight for power. Many people's lives changed forever because of his actions.

Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish explorer known as a conquistador.

He was born in Trujillo, Spain, around the year 1475. His family was very poor. His father was a soldier named Gonzalo Pizarro. His mother was named Francisca González. Pizarro did not go to school as a child. He grew up without being able to read or write. He wanted to find adventure and wealth in the New World.

His journey to South America took many tries. Pizarro first sailed to the New World in 1509. Later, he helped Vasco Núñez de Balboa cross the Isthmus of Panama. This made them the first Europeans to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. Pizarro then joined a group to explore the south. He made two early trips to find the land of Peru. These first two trips were not successful. They faced bad weather and a lack of food.

On his second trip, Pizarro found proof of riches. His pilot, Bartolomé Ruiz, found a raft from the Tumbes region. The raft carried textiles and pieces of gold and silver. The explorers also saw llamas for the first time. Pizarro called these animals "little camels." During this trip, a small group of thirteen men stayed with him. They were called "The Famous Thirteen." They chose to keep searching for wealth in the south.

In 1529, the Spanish crown gave Pizarro permission to lead a conquest. His third expedition was his most successful. He moved inland and founded San Miguel de Piura. In November 1532, Pizarro met the Inca emperor Atahualpa. This meeting happened at the Battle of Cajamarca. Atahualpa offered a room full of gold as a ransom for his release. However, Pizarro executed the emperor in July 1533.

After the Inca leader died, Pizarro took control of the land. He entered the capital city of Cuzco. In January 1535, he founded the city of Lima.

His time in power was filled with struggles. He was involved in fights over political power. These struggles led to his death in 1541. His actions changed the history of South America forever. Today, you can see statues of him in Spain and Peru.

Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who led the conquest of the Inca Empire.

He was born in Trujillo, Spain, to a poor family. His father was a colonel named Gonzalo Pizarro. His mother was Francisca González. Pizarro was born around 1475, though the exact date is uncertain. He grew up illiterate, meaning he could not read or write. He sought fortune and adventure in the New World.

Pizarro's early career involved several expeditions in the Americas. In 1509, he sailed to the Gulf of Urabá with Alonso de Ojeda. He later accompanied Vasco Núñez de Balboa across the Isthmus of Panama. This crossing allowed them to become the first Europeans to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. Pizarro later served as the mayor and magistrate of Panama City from 1519 to 1523. During this time, he became a close associate of the governor, Pedro Arias Dávila. He even helped arrest Balboa, who was later beheaded in 1519.

In the 1520s, Pizarro began planning to find the gold-rich territory of Peru. He heard stories about a land called Virú from the explorer Pascual de Andagoya. Pizarro formed a partnership called the Empresa del Levante. He worked with a priest, Hernando de Luque, and a soldier, Diego de Almagro. They agreed to divide the conquered empire equally among themselves. Pizarro would command the men, Almagro would provide supplies, and Luque would manage the finances.

The first expedition in 1524 was a failure. Pizarro took about 80 men and four horses to explore the coast. They faced bad weather and a lack of food. They also had skirmishes with local people. One such fight was the Battle of Punta Quemada. The expedition only reached as far as Colombia before returning to Panama.

The second expedition in 1526 brought more significant discoveries. Pizarro's pilot, Bartolomé Ruiz, captured a balsa raft from the Tumbes region. This raft contained textiles, ceramics, and pieces of gold, silver, and emeralds. These findings proved that the land to the south was very wealthy. During this trip, Pizarro also saw llamas, which he called "little camels." However, the expedition faced many difficulties. At one point, Pizarro and only 13 men stayed behind on Isla de Gallo. These men became known as "The Famous Thirteen."

In 1529, the Spanish crown gave Pizarro permission to lead a formal campaign. His third expedition was successful and led to the fall of the Inca Empire. In November 1532, Pizarro captured the Inca emperor, Atahualpa, at the Battle of Cajamarca. Atahualpa offered to fill a room with gold as a ransom for his release. Despite this, Pizarro charged the emperor with crimes and executed him in July 1533. Pizarro then entered the Inca capital of Cuzco to complete the conquest.

Pizarro's actions established Spanish rule in much of South America. In January 1535, he founded the city of Lima.

His leadership, however, was marked by political power struggles. These conflicts eventually led to his assassination in 1541. Today, his legacy is preserved through various monuments. You can find his tomb in the Lima Cathedral.

Statues of him also stand in Lima and Trujillo.