Francisco pizarro biography video about helen

Home / Historical Figures / Francisco pizarro biography video about helen

His conquest opened vast territories to Spanish control and significantly contributed to Spain’s wealth during the colonial period. Pizarro successfully overthrew the Inca leader Atahualpa in 1532, paving the way for Spanish dominance in the region.

What significant expeditions did Pizarro undertake?

Pizarro's major expeditions included joining Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513, which led to the discovery of the Pacific Ocean.

Moreover, Pizarro’s autocratic style of governance alienated many of his former allies, leading to growing discontent. The meeting was a trap; Pizarro and his men ambushed the Inca forces, capturing Atahualpa and massacring thousands of his warriors. In 1524, he joined forces with navigator Diego de Almagro and priest Fernando de Luque, embarking on initial exploratory missions toward the San Juan River.

Before him is Paracelsus. Pizarro then conquered Cuzco, the Inca capital, in 1533. His leadership throughout this conflict was pivotal in establishing Spanish control over Peru. The power struggles continued, contributing to a volatile political environment in the Spanish territories of South America.

Pizarro’s leadership was further challenged by his own increasingly autocratic style of governance.

Despite a lack of formal education, Pizarro was driven by aspirations of wealth and adventure, ultimately leading him to the New World. After a series of battles, including the notable Battle of Las Salinas in 1538, Pizarro's faction emerged victorious, but the victories were fleeting. This victory solidified Pizarro’s control over the region but also intensified the rivalries and discontent among the Spanish colonists.

The initial years were marked by ongoing conflicts with remaining Inca forces and dissent among the Spanish settlers.

The most significant challenge to Pizarro’s authority came from Diego de Almagro, who believed he had been unfairly treated in the distribution of land and power. Pizarro’s legacy remains a subject of debate, with some viewing him as a brilliant and ambitious conqueror and others as a ruthless opportunist.

Some historians view him as a product of his time, a figure whose actions were driven by the norms and values of 16th-century Spain, where exploration and conquest were seen as means to achieve glory and wealth.

However, the internal strife among conquistadors led to his eventual assassination on June 26, 1541, in Lima, as members of a rival faction sought revenge for earlier conflicts. He traveled to Spain in 1528, where he met with King Charles I and Queen Isabella. Almagro II sought to avenge his father’s death and reclaim what he believed was his rightful share of the spoils of conquest.

The conspirators, led by Almagro II and his allies, stormed Pizarro’s residence in Lima, overpowered his guards, and brutally assassinated him.

This union, forged during Pizarro’s conquest of Peru, not only provided him with social standing but also integrated him into the indigenous elite. The harsh conditions of his upbringing in the rugged region of Extremadura likely instilled in him the resilience and determination that would later define his career as a conquistador.

As a young man, Pizarro sought adventure and fortune in the New World, inspired by the tales of exploration and conquest that had begun to circulate in Spain following Christopher Columbus’s voyages.

Francisco Pizarro is the 15th most popular explorer (down from 13th in 2024), the 22nd most popular biography from Spain (down from 19th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular Spanish Explorer.

Francisco Pizarro was most famous for being the conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire.