Pizzaro Conquers the Inca

In 1513 Vasco Nunez De Balboa led a band of soldiers across the jungles of Panama. People say if he'd kept going south he would've found a gold empire! He found the Pacific Ocean instead of the Golden Empire. A jealous conquistador named Francisco Pizzaro falsely accused him of treason or disloyalty to the government. They both were from Extremadura but Balboa was born noble and Pizzaro wasn't. It is said that Pizzaro couldn't spell his name. Pizzaro's goal was to find the Golden Empire. 

Pizzaro and the Inca

In 1530 the Incas thought they ruled the world. They were proved wrong. The Inca couldn't stop smallpox which spread to them too! They also were under attack from Pizzaro. He led 160 adventurers up an Incan mountain which scared them. The Inca tried to ignore him but they couldn't Pizzaro was in his 50's and wouldn't leave. The Incans thought he was a fool to try and stand up to and army of 80,000!!! Pizzaro had an advantage. He spent 30 years fighting Native Americans and his friend Hernando Cortes gave him some tips and the Incans didn't know anything about Europeans. 

Pizzaro Defeats the Inca

The Spanish invited the emperor of the Inca to a meeting. Pizzaro made him give up the believes of the gods. He didn't listen and he laughed. He was then abducted and he promised to fill his jail cell with gold and a room nearby with silver for his freedom. Pizzaro accepted. The emperor kept his promise but Pizzaro didn't. He charged him with many crimes and he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Pizzaro got a new Incan emperor but he had to obey Pizzaro. The Spanis ruled about 375,000 square miles of land and it was the start of the first global empire.