Current Topic: The Age of Exploration
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Read pages 141 - 142 and use your notes from class.
Supplemental information
Read pages 141 - 142 and use your notes from class.
Supplemental information
- Vasco de Balboa is best known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in 1513, becoming the first European to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the Pacific from the New World.
- He founded the settlement of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in present-day Panama in 1510, which was the first permanent European settlement on the mainland of the Americas.
- Balboa was born in Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain.
- He was a descendant of the lord mason of the castle of Balboa, which is located in northwestern Spain.
- In 1500, motivated by his master after the news of Christopher Columbus’ voyages to the New World became known, he decided to embark on his first voyage to the Americas, along with Juan de la Cosa, on Rodrigo de Bastidas’ expedition.
- The expedition continued to explore the north east of South America, until they realized they did not have enough men and sailed to Hispaniola.
- The Gulf of Urabá became the border between the two territories: Nueva Andalucía to the east, governed by Alonso de Ojeda, and Veragua to the west, governed by Diego de Nicuesa.
- De Ojeda, together with seventy men, had founded the settlement of San Sebastián de Urabá in Nueva Andalucía, on the location where the city of Cartagena de Indias would later be built.
- Moreover, both agreed on removing de Nicuesa as governor of Veragua.
- By contrast Fernández de Enciso was not well liked by the men: many disapproved of his order to return to San Sebastián, especially after discovering, once they had arrived, that the settlement had been completely destroyed and that the natives were already waiting for them, leading to a series of relentless attacks.
- The Spanish, fearful of the large number of enemy combatants, made a vow to the Virgen de la Antigua, venerated in Seville, that they would name a settlement in the region after her should they prevail.
- Balboa kept his vow, and, in September 1510, founded the first permanent settlement on mainland American soil, and called it Santa María la Antigua del Darién.
- Two alcaldes were appointed: Martín Samudio and Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
- He succeeded in planting corn, received fresh supplies from Hispaniola and Spain, and got his men used to life as explorers in the new territories.
- At the end of 1512 and the first months of 1513, he arrived in a region dominated by the cacique Careta, whom he easily defeated and then befriended.
- According to information from the natives, the South Sea could be seen from the summit of this range.
- Balboa set out in several canoes towards these islands, even though it was the beginning of October and the weather conditions were not favorable.
- Arias, better known as Pedrarias Dávila and who would later become notorious for his cruelty, took control of Veragua and managed to calm the situation.
See more at: http://www.thefreeresource.com/facts-about-vasco-de-balboa-for-kids#sthash.Qymz7qqc.dpuf
Updated April 2014
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