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Francisco Pizarro Facts & Worksheets

Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish Conquistador who joined Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in discovering the Pacific Ocean. He was known for bringing an end to the Inca Empire, present-day Peru. Pizarro claimed vast silver and gold, which made him very wealthy.

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See the fact file below for more information on Francisco Pizarro or alternatively, you can download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Early Life

  • Francisco Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Spain around 1476. He was the son of Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisca Gonzalez, both lived in poverty. Young Francisco did not received formal education, making him illiterate, instead he herded his father’s pigs.
    Out of his eagerness to seek fortune, Pizarro joined Alonzo de Ojeda in his voyage to the New World. Their expedition to Uraba, Colombia was unsuccessful.

Francisco Pizarro’s Conquest and Death

  • In 1513, Pizarro became one of the crew of Martin Fernandez de Enciso. Later that year, he joined Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in his expedition going to the South Sea. They travelled the isthmus of Panama until the discovery of the Pacific Ocean.
  • Balboa was credited as the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean. Pizarro arrested Balboa under the orders of Pedro Arias de Avila, also known as Pedrarias, who was Balboa’s great rival.
  • As a reward for his loyalty, Pizarro was appointed as the Mayor of Panama City from 1519 until 1523. In addition, Pizarro gained a large amount of wealth including estates.
  • In 1524, after hearing stories about treasures in South America, Pizarro, together with Diego de Almagro and priest Hernando de Luque, set sail until they reached the San Juan River. The voyage was short lived and they returned to Panama.
  • Two years later, Pizarro again set sail and reached the Columbian shore.
  • In order to continue his exploration to South America, Pizarro asked for the permission and support from the King of Spain, Charles V.
  • Together with his brothers, Pizarro led the expedition to explore and conquer parts of South America in the name of the Spanish king.
  • In 1532, Pizarro established the first Spanish settlement in San Miguel de Piura. It was the same time when the Inca Empire was under a civil war between the brothers, Atahualpa and Huascar. Upon the death of their father, both wanted the throne.
  • Out of weakness due to internal war, Pizarro successfully overthrew the Inca leader, Atahualpa, and conquered the empire, now known as Peru. He established Peru as a new province of Spain.
  • Many of the Inca population died from new diseases (e.g. smallpox and TB) brought by the Europeans. Atahualpa was held hostage in exchange for gold and silver. After the ransom was paid, he was executed.
  • Pizarro raided the city of Cuzco in search of gold. By 1535, he established the new capital city of Lima. Pizarro served as the governor of Peru for 10 years.
  • Tension between conquistadors continued to grow because of power and credit. Two factions were formed, one led by Pizarro, and another by Almagro, a former associate.
  • In 1538, Almagro and Pizarro engaged in the Battle of Las Salinas. That same year, Almagro was captured and executed.
  • On June 26, 1541, Francisco Pizarro was killed in his home by the son of Diego Almagro along with supporters.
  • Pizarro was the second cousin of the Hernan Cortés, conquistador of the Aztec Empire.
  • Another famous explorer, Hernando de Soto, was part of his crew in conquering the Incas.

Additional Facts About the Inca Empire

  • In 1200 A.D., the city of Cuzco in the Cuzco Valley Region was founded by Manco Capac. It became the center of the Inca Empire (modern-day Peru).
  • In 1525, Emperor Huayna Capac died in a plague. Since then, large portions of the Inca population died from smallpox and other diseases brought by the Spanish conquistadors.
  • There were 13 Inca rulers prior to the conquest of Francisco Pizarro.
  • The Inca did not manifest a system of writing. Instead, they used the quipu, a colored wooden cord with knots, to help them in record keeping, specifically with numbers. A quipucamayoc was an expert in making and decoding quipu.
  • They were skilled builders of aqueducts, roads and fortifications.
  • As part of their polytheistic religion, they worshipped gods such as Viracocha and Inti. Human sacrifices played a vital part in Inca royal funerals.
  • Like the Aztecs, Incas relied on food such as potato, maize, and grains like quinoa and kiwicha.
  • Their society was based on ethnic lines or ayllus. An ayllu was headed by a curaca who came from Inca nobility. Social classes were distinguished based on their clothing.
  • Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of World and marker of the Inca Empire, is located in the high mountains of the Andes.

Francisco Pizarro Worksheets

This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use Francisco Pizarro worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Francisco Pizarro who was a Spanish Conquistador who joined Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in discovering the Pacific Ocean. He was known for bringing an end to the Inca Empire, present-day Peru.

This download includes the following worksheets:

  • Francisco Pizarro Facts
  • Rags to Riches: Biography of Pizarro
  • Famous Explorers
  • New Seven Wonders of the World
  • Voyage to Peru
  • Empires in the Americas
  • Gold and Silver
  • Spanish Conquest
  • Explorer’s Kit
  • Inca Civilization
  • Learning Ws

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Link will appear as Francisco Pizarro Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 11, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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