Diego de Almagro

Long ago, a man named Diego lived in Spain.

He wanted to see the world. He traveled on a ship to new lands.

Diego worked with a man named Pizarro. They found new places in South America. They helped build cities like Trujillo.

Later, Diego and Pizarro had a big fight. They both wanted to rule the same land. This led to a sad war.

Diego led a group of men to Chile. The trip was very hard. It was cold and they were hungry.

In the end, Diego lost the fight. His story is a part of history.

Diego de Almagro was a Spanish explorer. He was born in Spain in 1475.

He wanted to travel the world. He went to the New World on a ship in 1514.

Diego worked with a man named Francisco Pizarro. They helped conquer the Inca Empire in South America. They worked together to build new cities. Diego helped found the city of Trujillo.

Soon, the two men had a big fight. They both wanted to rule the city of Cuzco. This fight turned into a civil war.

Diego led a group of men to find riches in Chile. The trip was very hard. They had to cross the Andes mountains. It was very cold. Many people died from hunger and the cold.

In 1538, Diego lost a battle against the Pizarro brothers. After that, he was executed. His life was full of many changes.

Diego de Almagro was a famous Spanish explorer. He lived a long and busy life. He was born in 1475 in Spain.

His early years were not easy. He grew up in small villages like Almagro and Malagón. At age fifteen, he ran away from home. He wanted to see the whole world. He went to Seville to find a new life. He worked as a servant for a powerful man. This man helped him get a spot on a ship. He sailed across the ocean to reach the New World in 1514.

Almagro arrived in Panama during the early 1500s. There, he met many other explorers. One man was named Francisco Pizarro. They became very close friends during a long trip.

They worked together to explore new lands. Almagro even helped found the city of Villa del Acla. Later, he stayed in Panama for four years. He lived there and managed his own property. He also had a son during this time. He was a part of many early Spanish groups in the area.

In 1524, Almagro and Pizarro made a plan. They wanted to find and conquer lands in South America. They worked to take control of the Inca Empire. This was a very big job. During one battle, Almagro lost an eye to an arrow. He still helped Pizarro find new places. They helped build new Spanish cities together. Almagro helped start the city of Trujillo in Peru. He also helped found a city near Quito called Santiago de Quito.

These cities helped the Spanish stay in the region.

Things changed when the two friends started to argue. They both wanted to rule the city of Cuzco. This argument became a very serious fight. It turned into a civil war between their groups. Almagro wanted to find riches in the south. He decided to lead a big group to Chile. He left Cuzco on July 3, 1535. He took about 750 men with him. They had to walk a very long way. They followed the old Inca trails through the mountains. This was a hard journey for everyone.

Crossing the Andes mountains was the hardest part. The weather was very cold and harsh. Many people died from hunger and the cold. Some people even died because they were not used to the climate. Almagro felt the trip was a failure for a while. He sent a small group to look ahead. They found the Valley of Copiapó in Chile. Sadly, Almagro's life ended in 1538. He lost a battle against the Pizarro brothers at Las Salinas. After the battle, he was executed.

His story shows how much the world changed back then.

Diego de Almagro was a Spanish conquistador who played a major role in the exploration of western South America. A conquistador was a soldier or explorer who traveled to new lands to claim them for a kingdom. Almagro is remembered for his work in the Inca Empire and his leadership during early Spanish expeditions. His life was marked by great adventures, deep friendships, and eventually, a violent conflict with his former allies.

Almagro's early life was quite difficult and humble. He was born around 1475 in the Spanish villages of Almagro or Malagón. Because he was born to parents who were not married, his early years were spent moving between different towns. At age fifteen, he left home to seek adventure in the world. He traveled to Seville, a major port city in Spain. While there, he worked as a servant, or "criado," for a powerful official named Don Luis Gonzalez de Polanco. This connection helped Almagro secure a place on a ship bound for the New World.

Almagro arrived in the New World on June 30, 1514. He landed at Santa María la Antigua del Darién in Panama. During this time, he met Francisco Pizarro, a man who would become his most important partner. The two men joined expeditions together, such as a 14-month journey starting in December 1515. These long trips helped build a strong bond between them. Almagro also spent several years in Panama managing properties. During this period, he had a son named El Mozo.

By 1524, Almagro, Pizarro, and Hernando de Luque formed a formal association. Their goal was to discover and conquer lands further south in South America. This era involved the conquest of the Inca Empire. During one battle, known as the Battle of Punta Quemada, Almagro was struck by an arrow and lost an eye. Despite this injury, he continued to work alongside Pizarro. They helped establish new Spanish cities to hold the territory. Almagro helped found the city of Trujillo in Peru and a city near Quito called Santiago de Quito.

However, the friendship between Almagro and Pizarro began to fail. The two men disagreed over who should control the former Inca capital of Cuzco. This disagreement was fueled by legal disputes, such as the "Capitulacion de Toledo." This was a law that decided how much land and wealth each explorer would receive. Pizarro managed to secure a larger share of the rewards for himself. Although Almagro became quite wealthy and received the noble title of "Don," the tension grew. The dispute eventually turned into a civil war between their two groups of followers.

To seek his own riches, Almagro decided to lead an expedition into Chile. He left Cuzco on July 3, 1535, with approximately 750 men. He also took the religious leader of the Inca, Willaq Umu, and the brother of Manco Inca, Paullo Topa. The journey was incredibly difficult because they had to cross the Andes mountains. The group faced extreme cold, hunger, and exhaustion. Many people, especially the slaves who were not used to the high altitude, died during the crossing. Almagro initially believed the entire mission was a failure.

Despite the hardships, a small group of Almagro's men found the Valley of Copiapó. This discovery showed that there was land to be explored further south. However, Almagro's personal journey ended shortly after his expedition. In 1538, he fought the Pizarro brothers at the Battle of Las Salinas. Almagro was defeated in this battle. A few months later, he was executed in Cuzco. His life remains a significant part of the history of how Spanish influence spread across South America.