The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America, stretching along the Andes Mountains.

A Spanish expedition led by conquistador Francisco Pizarro arrived in 1532.

The Spanish arrival coincided with the end of a devastating Inca civil war, which had severely weakened the empire.

Pizarro, with a force of fewer than 200 men, arranged a meeting with the Inca emperor, Atahualpa, in the city of Cajamarca.

In a surprise attack, the Spanish captured Atahualpa and massacred his unarmed retinue.

Atahualpa offered a massive ransom of a room filled with gold and twice over with silver for his release.

After the ransom was collected, the Spanish executed Atahualpa anyway in 1533.

The capture and execution of their divine emperor paralyzed the Inca leadership structure.

The Spanish, aided by their superior weapons and alliances with local Inca rivals, then marched on and captured the capital city of Cuzco.

Despite years of Inca resistance, the conquest marked the end of the Inca Empire and the beginning of Spanish rule in the Andes.