Peru’s History

Before the colonization of Peru, it was occupied by the Incas. Manco Capac founded the dynasty in 1200, though the rapid expansion of the Inca empire began in 1438 with Pachacuti, one of the greatest conquerors in the history of the Americas. In 1524, Francisco Pizarro, aided by Diego de Almagro, a soldier, and Hernando de Luque, a priest, undertook explorations that led to the conquest of Peru. Pizarro established a base in the Sechura Desert and rode into the mountains to make contact with the Inca emperor, Atahualpa. Atahualpa accepted Pizarro’s invitation to meet, and the next day, he was taken prisoner. After Pizarro’s agents had collected a ransom for Atahualpa’s release, Atahualpa was executed.

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In November 1533 the Spaniards occupied Cuzco, the Inca capital, and in 1535 established a new city—Lima, the current capital of Peru. In 1820, Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan military leader, and José de San Martín, a general from Argentina, called for the continent's liberation from Spain. San Martín landed on Peruvian shores in 1820 and proclaimed Peru's independence on July 28, 1821. Spanish resistance did not end until Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spaniards in 1824. Spain recognized Peru's independence in 1879. War of the Pacific, from 1879 to 1883, followed independence. Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and forced Peru to give up Tarapaca and Arica. Peru entered the 20th century with a democratic government in place, but that ended in 1919 when Augusto Leguía took power. Under his leadership, the country’s boundary disputes with Bolivia and Brazil were settled, but Peru depended heavily on the United States, which, in return, received extensive rights to use the country's mineral and oil deposits. Leguía was then overthrown in a military coup in 1930. Now, most people who live in Peru are mestizos—people with mixed ancestry and white European and indigenous backgrounds. This ties back to Peruvian history because the colonization of Peru had led to many people being of mixed ethnicities. In the last few centuries, Peru has experienced Spanish colonization, many military coups, and a modern diverse society to form what is now called Peru. ​​​​​