Which European explorer conquered the Incas of Peru?

Which European explorer conquered the Incas of Peru?

• A. Francisco Pizarro
• B. Hernan Cortes
• C. Vasco da Gama
• D. Francisco de Coronado

Answer: (A)

Conquering large empires in the Americas often happened when a relatively small force used advanced weaponry, strategic diplomacy, and alliances with rival groups to topple established powers. Francisco Pizarro is the explorer who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. In 1532 he and a small band captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca, leveraged that victory to seize the capital region, and eventually founded Lima, bringing most of the Inca territories under Spanish rule and ending the empire’s dominance. This decisive campaign opened the Andes to sustained Spanish control and colonization. Hernán Cortés, by contrast, is known for defeating the Aztec Empire in central Mexico, not the Incas. Vasco da Gama is famed for finding a sea route to India around Africa, not for conquests in the Americas. Francisco de Coronado explored parts of the southwestern United States in search of fabled cities of gold, but did not conquer the Inca or Peru.

Conquering large empires in the Americas often happened when a relatively small force used advanced weaponry, strategic diplomacy, and alliances with rival groups to topple established powers. Francisco Pizarro is the explorer who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. In 1532 he and a small band captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca, leveraged that victory to seize the capital region, and eventually founded Lima, bringing most of the Inca territories under Spanish rule and ending the empire’s dominance. This decisive campaign opened the Andes to sustained Spanish control and colonization.

Hernán Cortés, by contrast, is known for defeating the Aztec Empire in central Mexico, not the Incas. Vasco da Gama is famed for finding a sea route to India around Africa, not for conquests in the Americas. Francisco de Coronado explored parts of the southwestern United States in search of fabled cities of gold, but did not conquer the Inca or Peru.