Conquistadors

“He was a murderous fellow in a time of murderous fellows.” So begins the description of conquistador Lope de Aguirre in a book by Maryland author Evan Balkan. Depending on who you ask, Aguirre was either a bloodthirsty madman, or the first true revolutionary of the Americas. Or maybe both. In the year 1560, he joined an expedition in search of El Dorado, then violently took that expedition over and led it in revolt against the king of Spain.