Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born in Jerez de los Caballeros. This means in English Gentleman of the Masculine. Jerez means masculine and Caballeros means Gentleman. In Spanish it is backwards when you say in English you say the right way. His blood was royalty. His ancestors were doctor’s governors and high name church holders. Though they weren’t royal now his father always said he had royal blood and to be proud of it. So he was. When he was 11 he was sent to live with a rich nobleman.
This nobleman lived in Moguer. He never returned home. He visited his family but never went back to Spain for good. He was 17 when Christopher Columbus first reached the new world. That is how he started exploring. He wasn’t really chosen he was just attracted to it. All these sailors were coming and going to the new world. The fame and wealth attracted him. He was 26 when he went on his first trip or the new world.
When he came back he brought riches such as spices, silk and jewels. He didn’t become famous at that time because he brought back what every other sailor brought back. He became famous because he was the first European to see and stand in the eastern shore on the Pacific Ocean on September 13, 1513.he accomplished his difficult travel through a jungle which is now Panama. He went with 90 Spaniards and several Indians. They went to the new world and stayed there for a while. The Indians told him that he could see the entire Pacific Ocean from this specific mountain peek.
He climbed the mountain and he left some of his men behind. What they told him was true. He did see the entire Pacific Ocean. Then he went back to Panama. There was a new governor there. That governor told him to go back to the new world and bring him back new riches. That governor was Pedro Arias Dávila. By the time the king of Spain heard of this he was already on his way. The first voyage took about 1to 2 years he came back 1515. The second voyage was the ending of that year.
He stayed in Panama until 1518. That year Pedro accused him of treason. For that he and four friends were arrested. In 1519 they were all beheaded. Until today people are still trying to figure out why Vasco Núñez de Balboa and his four friends were beheaded. He was falsely accused of treason. He also found Cuba but none knew because he was already beheaded before he told anyone.
