Ms.

Dennie History Girls’ High School

The Conquistadors March On

The Incas: The Fall of the Incas

Period of conquest: 1526 – 1535

Reasons for conquest: The Spanish conquistadors were searching for gold and wanted to claim the land
for Spain.

Location of Conquest: Peru

Leader of Conquest: Francisco Pizarro

Background on Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro grew up with little education and was illiterate (could not read and write) He was
raised by his grandparents and worked as a pig herder for many years. He had heard stories about the
New World and wanted to travel there to find his own fortune. He sailed to Hispaniola and lived there,
as a colonist, for many years. He became friends with Vasco Nunez de Balboa (who discovered what
became the Pacific Ocean) and was even a part of the expedition to sail to that Ocean’s coast. He soon
befriended Pedrarias (Vasco Nunez de Balboa’s enemy), turned on and arrested Balboa. After Balboa’s
arrest, Francisco Pizarro was rewarded for his loyalty to Pedrarias. Francisco Pizarro had heard rumors of
a land in South America that was full of gold and other treasures and wanted to explore it.

Conquest of Peru

Pizarro was unsuccessful in his 1st voyage to Panama in 1524. This was unsuccessful because they found
no gold and many men died. After realizing that few men wanted to go with him on his 2nd voyage in
1526, he spent the next four (4) years trying to raise an expedition. During this period, he received
permission and assistance from Hernan Cortés (his distant cousin), and was promised the position of
Governor General by the Spanish King, if his journey was successful.

In 1530, with men and supplies, he set sail to Peru on his 3rd voyage.

The Incas at War

An Inca ruler called Huyana Capac set up two (2) capitals: one in Quito and the other in Cuzco. Each
capital was ruled by his two (2) sons, Atahualpa and his half-brother, Huascar. Atahualpa ruled the city
of Quito, while Huascar ruled the city of Cuzco.

After their father’s death, from small pox, the half – brother began a civil war that was brutal and
caused a lot of bloodshed. This war occurred because both half-brothers wanted to be the sole ruler of
the Inca Empire.

Atahualpa conquered Huascar’s city of Cuzco and massacred (meaning: brutally murdered) two hundred
(200) members of the royal family, so he could become “The Only Inca”.

Pizarro continues to Conquer Peru

Factors (meaning: a fact or influence) that assisted Pizarro and his men to conquer the Inca empire:

1. Francisco Pizarro and his Spanish men arrived and met tribes that were disunited among themselves
and unconcerned about forming a united front to protect their land.

2. Francisco Pizarro’s conquistadors easily entered Cajamarca city because it was deserted and
unguarded.

3. The Spaniards transmitted diseases when they arrived in Central America to locals, who spread to
other parts of the continent, including South America. Even before his arrival, small pox had already
devastated the Inca empire, killing Huayna Capac (the leader of the Inca empire).

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As Francisco Pizarro‘s conquistadors continued to travel they were tracked by messengers who told
Atahualpa of their movements. Like Montezuma, Atahualpa sent gifts to Pizarro. Pizarro invited
Atahualpa to Cajamarca to a feast to celebrate Atahualpa’s victory. Atahualpa left eighty thousand
(80,000) armed soldiers outside Cajamarca city and took eight thousand (8,000) unarmed soldiers with
him to the feast. He did that because he thought no harm would be done to him.

Upon arrival, Francisco Pizarro fired on Atahualpa and his unarmed soldiers. It was a bloody massacre
that took the lives of the eight thousand (8,000) unarmed soldiers within one (1) hour. Francisco Pizarro
knew that Atahualpa was worth more alive than dead, so he kidnapped and turned Atahualpa into his
“puppet ruler/leader”.

While kidnapped, Atahualpa offered Pizarro a room filled with gold “as high as he could reach”, then
valued at $10 - $20 million, in exchange for his freedom. That gold is now worth $1∙5 billion dollars
(holds that Guinness World Record for highest ever ransom paid for an individual). Within two (2)
months, Pizarro received his gold.

However, Atahualpa’s offer did not benefit/help him. Francisco Pizarro falsely accused Atahualpa of
attempting to organize a revolt and for murdering his half – brother. Francisco Pizarro did this because
once Atahualpa remained alive; Pizarro and his men would always be in danger. The Spanish court
ordered Atahualpa’s execution. He originally was to be executed by being burned at the stake, but in the
Inca culture, they believed that burning a body prevented the soul from entering the afterlife. As a
result, Atahualpa converted to Christianity was strangled to death instead.

Pizarro then appointed a new Ica emperor called Tupac Huallpa, to serve as a “puppet ruler”. The Incas
became slaves under Tupac since they had to provide limitless food and goods for his court. Although
some Incas continued to fight the Spaniards, the organized Inca systems of food supply and government
fell apart. By, 1536, the Spaniards had full power over the land and Francisco Pizarro founded the city of
Lima, where Inca gold and silver were being packed on treasure ships to be transported to Spain.

Factors (meaning: a fact or influence) that assisted Pizarro and his men to conquer the Inca empire:

1. Francisco Pizarro and his Spanish men arrived and met tribes that were disunited among themselves
and unconcerned about forming a united front to protect their land.

2. Francisco Pizarro’s conquistadors easily entered Cajamarca city because it was deserted and
unguarded.

3. The Spaniards transmitted diseases when they arrived in Central America to locals, who spread to
other parts of the continent, including South America. Even before his arrival, small pox had already
devastated the Inca empire, killing Huayna Capac (the leader of the Inca empire).

The Spanish Main

Definition of Spanish Main:

Central American lands bordering the Caribbean Sea, including New Andalusia (now known as
Venezuela).

The Spanish Main’s shipping System

 Treasures were organized in a shipping system called a convoy.

 A Convoy sailed twice per year.

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 A convoy sailed along with warships for protection from other European
territories that wanted to grab Spain’s treasures located on the convoy.
 Upon arriving in the Caribbean, the convoy would be divided in two(2):
a) Flota – which travelled to Vera Cruz
b) Galleon - which travelled to Cartagena, Nombre de Dios and Porto Bello
 After collecting gold and treasures, the flotas and galleons would meet at Havana,
Cuba.
 From Havana, Cuba, this convoy was considered large (because it contained
valuable items) and was now called an armada.
 This armada, along with warships, would sail through the Florida Channel to
Spain.
 Another route travelled by the convoy was the road over the isthmus of Panama,
which collected treasure and loaded them in mule carts to be transported fifty (50) miles to
Nombre de Dios and Porto Bello.