Vasco Nunez Balboa

1475–1519

VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA

Balboa was one of the most colorful of the Conquistadors, and by most accounts a genuinely talented leader of men. He is most famous for discovering the Pacific Ocean, but his achievement in founding the first permanent settlement on the coast of Panama was also very significant. Up to this time the Spaniards had successfully colonized Hispaniola and several other islands, but had failed repeatedly to establish a permanent foothold on the Continent. The territory was unknown, the tribes were unfriendly, travel over land was very difficult, and the natives could not be easily surrounded and massacred in the customary fashion. In spite of these difficulties, Balboa succeeded by both military means and diplomacy to ally himself with enough friendly tribes to assure his survival.

Balboa was a young man when Columbus returned from discovering America, and as soon as he was able, he gained passage to the New World. After serving as a military hand on an expedition to the coast of Panama, he settled on Hispaniola to try to make his fortune. Instead he ran up terrific debts and had to stow away on a vessel bound for South America in order to escape his creditors. The ship he found himself on was destined for the coast of Venezuela, but when the crew ran into difficulties, they looked to Balboa, who was familiar with the region, for leadership. Balboa suggested relocating to the coast of Darien off the coast of Panama and at that time essentially took control of the expendition.

The problems of establishing a permanent colony were numerous, but by making alliances with some of the native tribes, Balboa was able to provide his settlement with food, water, security and other materials. The colony became his base of operations, and following the advice of friendly tribes, he set forth on an expedition for the legendary great waters to the south. In 1513 he climbed a peak in Darien and was first able to glipse the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Soon after Balboa returned to his colony, he found a new Spanish governor, by the name of Pedrarias, had arrived with a troop of 500 additional men. The village was barely able to sustain such an influx, and Balboa and Pedrarias were deeply distrustful of each other. They attempted to resolve their differences by betrothing the daughter of Pedrais to Balboa. Balboa was allowed to develop a new colony on the Pacific coast with the task of building boats for further exploration of the region. Only a year after setting out on this campaign however, he was recalled by Pedrarias, arrested, tried and executed on trumped up charges of treason.

Key events during the life of Vasco Nunez de Balboa:

Year	Event
1475	Birth of Balboa to a noble family in Badajoz.
1500	Traveled to the new world on and expedition led by Bastidas.
1501	Explored the coast of Panama.
1502	Settled on Hispaniola and attempted to become a planter.
1509	Stowed away on a ship leaving Hispaniola in order to escape his creditors.
1510	Founded the town of Santa Maria on the coast of Darien.
1513	Journeyed accross the Isthmus of Panama and discovered the Pacific Ocean.
1514	Balboa replaced as governor by Pedro Arias.
1517	Set up a village on the Pacific and oversaw the building of ships.
1519	Arrested for treason and executed.

Book Links
Vasco Nunez de Balboa  by  Frederick Ober

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Upon a Peak in Darien—First Story  in	Thirty More Famous Stories Retold  by  James Baldwin
New Home of Liberty  in	The Story of Liberty  by  Charles C. Coffin
White Tyrant of Darien  in	The Men Who Found America  by  Frederick Winthrop Hutchinson
Balboa and the Discovery of the Pacific  in	Historical Tales: Spanish American  by  Charles Morris
Other Great Explorers  in	American History Stories, Volume I  by  Mara L. Pratt
Discovery of the Pacific  in	The Discovery of New Worlds  by  M. B. Synge
Balboa Sees the Pacific Ocean  in	A Book of Discovery  by  M. B. Synge

Image Links
Balboa and the Pacific Ocean  in Thirty More Famous Stories Retold	Balboa . . . engaged in superintending the roofing of a house  in South American Fights and Fighters	The expedition had to fight its way through tribes of warlike and ferocious mountaineers  in South American Fights and Fighters
He took possession of the sea in the name of Castile and Leon  in South American Fights and Fighters	Balboa discovers the South Sea  in Story of the Thirteen Colonies	Vasco Nunez de Balboa  in Vasco Nunez de Balboa
Balboa carried on shipboard  in Vasco Nunez de Balboa	Balboa and the Indian Princess  in Vasco Nunez de Balboa	Quarrel for the Gold  in Vasco Nunez de Balboa
Discovery of the Pacific  in Vasco Nunez de Balboa	Execution of Balboa  in Vasco Nunez de Balboa	Balboa makes his appearance before Enciso  in Pizarro and the Conquest of Peru
Balboa looked down on the Pacific.  in The Discovery of New Worlds

Contemporary	Short Biography
Pedrarias Davila	First Governor of the Spanish colony of Darien in Peru. Murderous and unscrupulous rival of Balboa.
Nicholas Ovando	Governor of Hispaniola. Responsible for great massacres of the natives.
Francisco Pizarro	With only 160 men, conquered six thousand Inca and took control of Peru.
Rodrigo Bastidas	Conquistador who led early expeditions to the new world.
Martin Enciso	Commander of the ship on which Balboa 'stowed away'.