Why was balboa important

As a child he was a squire and a page to the lord of Moguer, Don Pedro de Portocarrero. He was inspired to become an explorer when his master told him Christopher Columbus's New World voyages, and ventured on an expedition to the Americas in with Rodrigo de Astidas who had a license to bring treasure back for the queen and king. The expedition realized they were too short of men and sailed to Hispaniola.

Vasco used his share of the earnings of the expedition to settle in Hispaniola in Vasco unsuccessfully raised pigs and was a planter for several years, which sent him into debt.

He eventually left the island. Vasco left the island and his creditors as a stowaway in He hid in a barrel with Leoncico, his dog, but was discovered aboard the ship before arriving at San Sebastian de Uraba. While he didn't find the precious metal, he did see the Pacific Ocean and claimed it and all of its shores for Spain. The new governor was reportedly jealous of Balboa and ordered him to be arrested on charges of treason. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquests of Central America and Peru and discovered the Mississippi River. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama was commissioned by the Portuguese king to find a maritime route to the East. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The 16th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto c.

A decade later, he was serving as governor of the eastern province of Hispaniola when he decided to explore a nearby island, which became In , Coronado led a major Spanish expedition Francisco Pizarro was an explorer, soldier and conquistador best known for conquering the Incas and executing their leader, Atahuapla. He was born around in Trujillo, Spain.

The story of North American exploration spans an entire millennium and involves a wide array of European powers and uniquely American characters. Sir Francis Drake participated in some of the earliest English slaving voyages to Africa and earned a reputation for his privateering, or piracy, against Spanish ships and possessions. In , Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias c. Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian-born merchant and explorer who took part in early voyages to the New World on behalf of Spain around the late 15th century.

By that time, the Vikings had established settlements in present-day North America as early as 1, A. The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in , , and He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he stumbled upon the Americas.