History: spain and the new world = key topic 2 ( the conquistadors 1513-1528)

What is a conquistador?

Spanish explorer in the new world

Why would people become conquistadors?

• new continent could bring riches beyond your imagination

• Monarchs gave them rights to invade + conquer in the name of Spain and allowed some to become governors of particular regions

• Had to give monarch 1/5 of gold / treasure

What did conquistador do?

• had to finance there own expeditions and find others to join them

• Expected to send regular reports back to Spain + act on orders from Spanish administration, didn’t always happen due to limited time or wanting independence

• Invading Spanish were taking land from natives with massacre, murder ,treachery, rape and torture marking their explorations

When did Balboa first land on mainland America?

1509

What was the name of the first settlement in mainland America?

Darian

Balboa, discovery of Pacific Ocean and creation of Panama narrative?

• 1509: Balboa leads a party to rescue a Spanish expedition in mainland America

• 1510: Balboa and rescued Spanish create a settlement called Darian (first Spanish settlement on mainland America and it flourished)

• Balboa is appointed as captain general and governor of Darian, he begins to explore mainland America

• Balboa hears rumours about a vast sea in the West and they set out to find it travelling across Panama

• 1513: they find what they call the southern sea (pacific ocean) and claim it for Spain, they begin to explore it and find islands with lots of pearls that they send to Spain

• 1514- Spanish king sends over Padrarias who takes over from Balboa, they were old enemies and Balboa is executed

• Padrarius and his second in command (Espinosa) explore the land and eventually decide to built a settlement called Panama ( this was very well situated between both oceans and fertile land)

• 1522: most of the people from Darien are forcibly moved to Panama and Darien is destroyed by natives