Sailing into history: the explorer Balboa reached the Pacific Ocean 500 years ago.

• Author: Zissou, Rebecca
• Position: NEWS MAP - Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa spent more than a decade searching for treasure. He finally found one bigger than he'd ever imagined. Five hundred years ago, Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

Balboa began his search for wealth in 1500 when he set sail from Spain to the Americas (see map). He had hoped to find fortune in the New World. Instead, he spent years raising pigs on a farm on Hispaniola. The island is now home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The Spanish explorer's luck began to turn after he traveled to what is now Panama in 1511. There, Balboa met a group of American Indians. They told him about a great sea where he could find gold near its shores. Balboa led an expedition in search of both.

Balboa organized a crew of about 200 Spanish men and hundreds of Native Americans. On September 29, 1513, after nearly three weeks of hiking through Panama's jungles, Balboa reached the Pacific Ocean. Along its coast, he also found gold and other riches.

With his sword in his hand, Balboa claimed the ocean and the land it touched for Spain. His trip paved the way for future exploration of Central America and South America.

Word to Know

expedition (ek-spuh-DISH-uhn) noun. a journey with a specific purpose, such as exploring

Common Core Lesson: Sequencing (RI.4.3)

Read the article as a class once. Then reread it to consider the events described in this historical text. Discuss what signal words should alert students to events, including months, dates, and years. Highlight these instances in the article.

Next, prompt students to examine each of the events and to explain what happened and why. Students should use evidence from the article to support their responses.

Finally, challenge students to analyze the order in which the events are presented. For example, "Five hundred Years ago" (1513) is presented first. Then the author flashes back to 1500. Ask students to explain why the author might have done this (to introduce Balboa's eventual feat).

Core Question

*...