Pedro de Alvarado

Pedro de Alvarado
Portrait of the adelantado Pedro de Alvarado found in Archivo General de Indias, painted by Tomás Povedano (early 20th century)
Born	c. 1485 Badajoz, Crown of Castile
Died	4 July 1541 (aged 55 or 56) Guadalajara, New Spain
Spouses	Francisca de la Cueva (m. 1527; died c. 1532) Beatriz de la Cueva ​ (m. 1538)​
Partner	Luisa de Tlaxcala (1519–1535)
Children	5 (3 with Luisa)
Signature

Pedro de Alvarado (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ðe alβaˈɾaðo]; c. 1485 – 4 July 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, adelantado, governor and captain general of Guatemala.^[1] 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.^[2]

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.^[3] In 1541, while attempting to quell a native revolt, Alvarado was accidentally crushed by a horse, dying a few days later.^[3]