Question
Here is the question : WHO WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN EXPLORER TO REACH THE PACIFIC OCEAN?
Option
Here is the option for the question :
- Jacques Cartier
- Hernando de Soto
- John Cabot
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa
The Answer:
And, the answer for the the question is :
Explanation:
Vasco Nuez de Balboa, a Spanish conquistador, landed on the Pacific coast for the first time in September 1513. While exploring the Isthmus of Panama, he and his crew stumbled into the ocean by chance. While establishing the first permanent colonial settlement in South America, Balboa claimed the surrounding waters and territory for Spain.
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer who is credited with being the first European to reach the Pacific Ocean. He was born in Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain in 1475. Not much is known about his early life, but it is believed that he came from a poor family and had little education.
Balboa arrived in Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic) in 1500, where he became a farmer and a pig breeder. However, he soon became involved in disputes with the governor of Hispaniola, and in 1510 he fled to the mainland of Central America. There, he joined an expedition led by the conquistador Alonzo de Ojeda, which was seeking gold and slaves.
In 1513, Balboa set out on an expedition to explore the Isthmus of Panama, a narrow strip of land that connects North and South America. He had heard rumors from the local indigenous people that there was a great sea to the south, and he was determined to find it. Balboa and his men crossed the isthmus and reached the Pacific Ocean on September 25, 1513.
Balboa claimed the ocean and all the lands that it touched for Spain, and he named it the “South Sea”. He then returned to Spain to report his discovery to King Ferdinand, but he was not received with the honors he had expected. The king had appointed a rival, Pedro Arias Dávila, as governor of Panama, and Balboa was accused of treason and beheaded in 1519.
Vasco Núñez de Balboa’s discovery of the Pacific Ocean was a momentous event in the history of exploration. It opened up a new route for trade and colonization, and it gave Spain a foothold in the Pacific. Balboa’s legacy is still felt today, as the country of Panama has named its currency, its highest mountain, and its national park after him.
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a brave and determined explorer who made a historic discovery that changed the course of world history. His journey across the Isthmus of Panama and his sighting of the Pacific Ocean were remarkable achievements that paved the way for future explorers and traders. Balboa’s name will forever be remembered as the first European to set eyes on the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.