Death in the Snow : Pedro De Alvarado and the Illusive Conquest of Peru

The little-known tale of Pedro de Alvarado’s ill-fated attempt to conquer Peru, which claimed countless Indigenous lives. Pedro de Alvarado is best known as Cortés’s right-hand man in the conquest of Mexico and the ruthless conqueror of Guatemala. Less known is his intent to intrude in the conquest of Peru and lay claim to the riches of the Inca Empire. __Death in the Snow__ conveys the delusions of one headstrong conquistador and mourns the loss of countless Indigenous lives, casualties of Alvarado’s lust for fame and fortune. "Pedro de Alvarado is best known as the right-hand man of Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico (1519-21) and the ruthless conqueror of Guatemala some years later. Far less known is his intent to intrude in the conquest of Peru and lay claim to Quito, a wealthy domain in the far north of the Inca Empire. To this end, Alvarado constructed a massive fleet, which sailed south from Central America to what is now Ecuador, making landfall on 25 February 1534. Engaging both the European and Indigenous contexts in which Alvarado operated, George Lovell illuminates this gap in the record, narrating a dramatic story of greed and hubris. Upon reaching Ecuador, Alvarado’s formidable entourage--some five hundred Spanish combatants and two thousand Indigenous conscripts--marched from the Pacific coast to the Andean sierra. Though Quito was his intended destination, he never made it. During a treacherous transit across the mountains, Alvarado’s party was engulfed by heavy snowfall and numbing cold, which proved the expedition’s undoing. Those who survived the ordeal discovered that other Spaniards--Diego de Almagro and Sebastián de Benalcázar, acting in allegiance with Francisco Pizarro--had reached Quito before them, thereby claiming first right of conquest. Believing he had no option, if strife between rival sides was to be avoided, Alvarado sold his costly machinery of war-- men, horses, weaponry, and ships--to those who had beaten him to the prize. All but ruined, he returned humiliated to Central America. Death in the Snow brings to light the delusions of one headstrong conquistador and mourns the loss of untold Indigenous lives, casualties of Alvarado’s lust for fame and fortune."-- Provided by publisher. Pedro de Alvarado is best known as the right-hand man of Hernando Cortés in the conquest of Mexico (1519–21) and the ruthless conqueror of Guatemala some years later. Far less known is his intent to intrude in the conquest of Peru and lay claim to Quito, a wealthy domain in the far north of the Inca Empire. To this end, Alvarado constructed a massive fleet, which sailed south from Central America to what is now Ecuador, making landfall on 25 February 1534. Engaging both the European and Indigenous contexts in which Alvarado operated, George Lovell illuminates this gap in the record, narrating a dramatic story of greed and hubris. Upon reaching Ecuador, Alvarado's formidable entourage – some five hundred Spanish combatants and two thousand Indigenous conscripts – marched from the Pacific coast to the Andean sierra. Though Quito was his intended destination, he never made it. During a treacherous transit across the mountains, Alvarado's party was engulfed by heavy snowfall and numbing cold, which proved the expedition's undoing. Those who survived the ordeal discovered that other Spaniards – Diego de Almagro and Sebastián de BeLalcázar, acting in allegiance with Francisco Pizarro – had reached Quito before them, thereby claiming first right of conquest. Believing he had no option, if strife between rival sides was to be avoided, Alvarado sold his costly machinery of war – men, horses, weaponry, and ships – to those who had beaten him to the prize. All but ruined, he returned humiliated to Central America. Death in the Snow brings to light the delusions of one headstrong conquistador and mourns the loss of untold Indigenous lives, casualties of Alvarado's lust for fame and fortune. Cover DEATH in the SNOW Title Copyright Dedication CONTENTS Preface Acknowledgments Maps and illustrations PART ONE Rainbow of Illusions 1 Always Wanting More 2 The Lure of Peru PART TWO Preparations 3 Arrangements in Spain 4 Constructing the Fleet 5 Opposing Forces 6 Realejo 7 Manoeuvres before Departure 8 The Roll Call PART THREE Arrival 9 Landfall at Caráquez 10 Ransacking the Coast PART FOUR Up, Over, and Down 11 Ascending the Andes 12 Trail through the Pass 13 Hoofprints on the Highway PART FIVE Saving Face 14 Negotiations with Almagro 15 The Price of Peace 16 Pizarro Pays Out 17 Back to Guatemala 18 Coda: The Conquistador Who Never Was Appendix Chronology Glossary Notes References Index