Search Results - Alvarado, Pedro de

Pedro de Alvarado

Pedro de Alvarado (; 1485 – 4 July 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', ''adelantado,'' governor and captain general of Guatemala. He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva's exploration of the coasts of the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the conquest of the Aztec Empire led by Hernán Cortés. He is considered the conquistador of much of Central America, including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and parts of Nicaragua.

While a great warrior like Cortes and other conquistadors, Alvarado developed a reputation for greed and cruelty like many conquistadors, and was accused of various crimes and abuses by natives and Spaniards alike. In 1541, while attempting to quell a native revolt, Alvarado was crushed by a horse, during an incursion into Chichimeca territory, dying a few days later. Provided by Wikipedia