Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born at Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain. In 1501, he explored the New World with Rodrigo de Bastidas, who had been inspired by Christopher Columbus to believe that pearls could be found on the northern coast of Venezuela. Bastidas and Balboa were able to trade their European goods for a large quantity of pearls and gold. They sailed west, but their ship began to leak. They were forced to abandon their ship on the island of Hispaniola, and they had their goods taken by the governor of the island. Balboa was left penniless.

He tried to make a living as a farmer, but he was not very good at it. Deep in debt, Balboa decided to stow away with his dog on board a relief supply ship sailing to San Sabastian on the Isthmus of Panama in 1510.

Balboa ventured into the neighboring region of Coiba where he became friends with a local chief. He married the chief’s daughter. Balboa arranged an alliance between the Spaniards and Comogre, another powerful native chief. Comogre offered to lead the Spaniards to the other side of the isthmus if they would help defeat one of his tribe’s enemies. Balboa agreed and set out in September of 1513 with 190 Spanish soldiers and almost 1,000 Native Americans. Balboa’s group crossed through the densest rain forest in the world, fighting enemy tribes along the way.

He set out with a small party of 67 to cross the mountains in the center of the peninsula. On the morning of September 25, 1513, Balboa climbed a peak and became the first European to look out on what would become the eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean (it was named by Ferdinand Magellan during his expedition around the world several years later). Other Spaniards, including Francisco Pizarro, joined him. Building a pile of stones and a cross, they knelt and sang a Catholic hymn of Thanksgiving. They marched to the shore and formally took possession of the ocean in the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

He spent a month on the Pacific shore collecting gold and pearls and visiting the Pearl Islands in the Caribbean Sea. On his return to the other side of the isthmus, Balboa conquered more native tribes and took even more gold. During the four-month journey, not a single Spanish soldier was killed.

In 1514, Balboa’s enemies in Spain, who were jealous of his successes, accused Balboa of treason. They turned the king against him. He was arrested, convicted of treason, and beheaded in January 1519.