He explored the southwestern part of the United States, which helped claim the land for Spanish colonization

Francisco Pizarro contributed to the Spanish empire gaining control over South America by conquering the great Inca Empire in Peru

Spanish explorer and conquistador who helped conquer parts of Central and South America, explored the southeastern region of the United States, and is credited as the first European to cross the Mississippi River

Explorer and Conquistador who was head of the first South American settlement, and the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean