Who is Vasco Núñez de Balboa?

Born into Spanish nobility, Vasco Núñez de Balboa was the son of a nobleman, Nuño Arias de Balboa, and the Lady de Badajoz. As a young man, he was excited and motivated by the news of Christopher Columbus's success after reaching the New World. And within one year of Columbus's greatly heralded triumph, Balboa was himself on a ship headed west for adventure, treasure, and new lands (Wikipedia, 2021).

The first conquistador to create a settlement in the Americas, Balboa named it Santa María la Antigua del Darién. Established in 1510, it was burned to the ground by indigenous people fourteen years later in 1524. Santa Maria was settled in what is now present-day Colombia (Accuteach, 2017).

Vasco Núñez de Balboa “discovering” the Pacific Ocean in 1513 and claiming all shores for Spain.

Balboa is most famous for his 1513 crossing from the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean. He was the first European to lead an expedition that reached the Pacific Ocean from what was then termed, the "New World" (Wikipedia, 2021). [This New World encompassed what the European explorers called the Americas, or what we refer to today as North America, Central America, and South America (Wikipedia, 2021).] Taking off on September 1, 1513 with his exploration party of 190 Spaniards, a few native guides, and a pack of dogs, Balboa traveled over 110 km (68 mi) by the time he reached the Pacific Ocean on September 29, 1513. Arriving at the waters edge, Balboa marched forth and claimed the new sea and all the shores it touched for Spain. His entourage of Spaniards celebrated by building stone pyramids and carving crosses into the trees to mark the occasion and place of this great discovery. Balboa named the bay where they arrived, San Miguel, as they arrived on the feast day of the Archangel Michael. Balboa named the sea, Mar del Sur (South Sea), since they had traveled south to reach it. (Wikipedia, 2021)

After several successful campaigns at sea, Balboa decided to settle down and enjoy the good life, living off the land with his earnings. However, although he had been a fruitful conquistador, Balboa did not make a good farmer. In time, Balboa found himself in trouble with creditors. So, he gave up his dreams of farming, for wishes to escape his money problems. As he was a man of action, Balboa decided sneaking onto a ship as a stowaway was his best course, and he successfully escaped the people to whom he owed money (Bowtie Guy, 2017).

Although he died by beheading as a traitor (Bowtie Guy, 2017), the legend and memory of Vasco Núñez de Balboa lives on all around the globe today. And although we may not appreciate his accomplishments as a conquistador (and what that meant to the indigenous people of the time), we can admire his bravery and courage to cross unchartered territories. And from his example, we can learn to try new things (and, if it doesn't work out, we can follow Balboa's lead once again, and make our escape!).

Today, Balboa's likeness and name appear in, on & around the globe. Literally.

A crater on the moon was named after Balboa.
Balboa has a naval base named after him.
As was a Photovoltaic Power Plant.
As was a metro station in Madrid.
As well as a SquareSpace template.

Balboa’s features are also eternally embossed on the Panamanian coin. Which is aptly called a ‘Balboa.’ (Wikipedia, 2021)

While his pronouncement to claim all the shores of the Pacific Ocean for Spain may have been overly grand and far-reaching, Balboa himself touches the shores around the globe through his likeness on the Panamanian currency. And as the children of the conquistadors exchange their Balboas, we can also contemplate the faces on our money, and remember that these men (and a few women) were once fallible humans, just like you and me.

References:

Vasco Núñez de Balboa. (2021, March 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasco_N%C3%BA%C3%B1ez_de_Balboa

Historycentral. (2013, April 30). Vasco Núñez de Balboa [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggtksTWwl60&t=2s

AccuTeach. (2017, October 24). Vasco Núñez de Balboa [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x0JKG3J2-g

Bow Tie Guy and Wife. (2017, September 4). Vasco Núñez de Balboa [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm5Swx4fZfY