Final answer:
Francisco Pizarro's exploration was motivated primarily by the promise of wealth, personal power, and the expansion of the Spanish Empire. Motives like these, commonly referred to as 'God, glory, and gold', were characteristic of European explorers of the era, illustrating their quest for economic gain, national prestige, and religious spread.
Step-by-step explanation:
Motivation for Pizarro's Exploration
The primary motivation for Francisco Pizarro's exploration was of an economic nature, with aspirations for political power and recognition also playing key roles. Pizarro ventured into the New World driven by the lure of wealth and the prospect of claiming riches for himself and his country. While economic gain was the foremost incentive, the underlying goals also included the expansion of the Spanish Empire, enhancing national glory, and spreading Christianity, which were common motives for European exploration at the time, often summarized as 'God, glory, and gold'. Pizarro's pursuits in the Spanish Caribbean and later in the Inca Empire were marked by the quest for immediate wealth and the conquest of new territories to bring under Spanish rule.
Historians recognize that the reasons why people explore can be complex, yet for Pizarro and his contemporaries, it boiled down to the potential for discovering new sources of wealth, gaining noble titles, and increasing their personal and national prestige. The societal and religious context of the time encouraged these ventures with promises of rewards both in life and afterlife for spreading the Christian faith. The capture and subsequent execution of the Inca emperor Atahualpa and the founding of Lima, Peru, by Pizarro are evidence of his resolve and the extent he was willing to go in pursuit of these aims.