Vasco+Nunez+de+Balboa

  **Vasco Nunez de Balboa**  By Sam Bresnick   

 Vasco Nunez de Balboa was a brave and adventurous explorer. He is best known for crossing the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean in1513. He was the first European to do this.

 Vasco Nunez de Balboa was born in the year 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros in Badajoz,Spain. Balboa was the son of Lady de Badajoz and Nobleman Arias de Balboa. He was one of four sons.

 His early career as an explorer started in 1500 when he heard about Christopher Columbus’ voyage which motivated him to start exploring. In 1501, Balboa left Spain and a couple of months later he crossed the Carribean coast from the east of Panama. He realized that he did not have enough men, so he sailed to Hispaniola. Balboa ended up settling in Hispaniola in the year 1505. He became a planter and pig farmer, but did not do well in that business.That is how he became in debt and as a result, they forced him to leave Hispaniola.   In the year 1509, Balboa set sail hiding inside a barrel with his dog //Leoncico// . Later on in the expedition Fernandez de Enciso found Balboa on the ship. He threatened to drop him off at the next uninhabited island he saw. However, he decided to use Balboa, because he had been where he was going eight years earlier.   In the year 1513, Balboa travel to the South Sea in search of gold. He discovered the waters of an undiscovered sea on September 25, 1513. He celebrated with a small group of men who believed in him. To mark their discovery of the “South Sea” they carved crosses on the trees using their swords. The South Sea is known as the Pacific Ocean today. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In March 1519, Balboa while on his way back to Santa Maria, Balboa was arrested for treason* by his former Captain, Francisco Pizarro. They accused him of trying to set up his own colony on the Pacific side of Panama. He was beheaded in front of everyone. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> Vasco Nunez de Balboa will always be remembered as he person who discovered the Pacific. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Treason* Go against the government.