Who founded Lima, explored Panama, and helped defeat the Inca Empire?

Who founded Lima, explored Panama, and helped defeat the Inca Empire?

• A. Pizarro
• B. Cortés
• C. Columbus
• D. Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Answer: (A)

Francisco Pizarro is the figure who did all three. He led the expedition that toppled the Inca Empire, making him the conqueror of Peru, and he founded Lima in 1535 as the new colonial capital. His early work as a conquistador also involved movements from the Isthmus of Panama into South America, tying his path to exploration in that region. The other leaders are known for different feats: Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico, Balboa is famed for crossing the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific, and Columbus opened sustained European contact with the Americas but did not found Lima or defeat the Inca.

Francisco Pizarro is the figure who did all three. He led the expedition that toppled the Inca Empire, making him the conqueror of Peru, and he founded Lima in 1535 as the new colonial capital. His early work as a conquistador also involved movements from the Isthmus of Panama into South America, tying his path to exploration in that region. The other leaders are known for different feats: Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico, Balboa is famed for crossing the Isthmus of Panama to reach the Pacific, and Columbus opened sustained European contact with the Americas but did not found Lima or defeat the Inca.