FERDINAND MAGELLAN
Who was Ferdinand Magellan?
The Renaissance period was a time of great achievement and discovery. Ferdinand de Magellan was a Portuguese navigator and explorer that contributed greatly to the significant events in this period. He had a sturdy figure and a determined, courageous spirit; the perfect description for a man at sea. His theories and countless hours of studying Columbus’s maps led him to his greatest expedition yet. Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer ever to lead a journey around the world.
What was his early life like? What was his life like before the great voyage?
Magellan was born under noble parents in about the year 1480. As a young boy, he worked as a page for the King and Queen of Portugal. He was educated in music, dancing, geography, and navigation, and was especially intrigued by the stories of the brave Portuguese sailors. His first time ever at sea, at the age of twenty five, was when he joined the armada to chase away Arab traders from the coast of Africa. Magellan also had a strong belief that sailing westward around the southern tip of South America to the Spice Islands would be faster than sailing around the tip of Africa and across the Indian Ocean, but he wasn't aware of the size of the Pacific Ocean. In 1513, Magellan asked King Manuel if he permitted him to leave the court to go on this journey, but the king refused permission every time just because he disliked Magellan. Later Magellan studied astronomy and navigation for 2 years and met Ruy Falesrio, who was interested in what Magellan had to say, and soon became his partner. The two of them studied the Spice Islands, which was given to Spain in about 1494. Magellan left Portugal and went to Spain in 1518 to present the information he had acquired about the Spice Islands to the king of Spain. One year later, Magellan had King Charles I's support on his voyage, and was promised one fifth of the profits he would get from the Spice Islands. Finally, this was Magellan's chance.
What happened during his voyage around the world?
By late summer of 1519, Magellan had prepared everything for the great voyage up ahead, and they finally set sail on September 20 of the year 1519. Five ships (the San Antonio, Trinidad, Victoria, Concepcion, and Santiago) accompanied the 277 men on this trip. Life in the ships was appalling; it was crowded and unsanitary, with revolting food and contagious diseases. Disputes occurred between Magellan, the overall captain of the whole fleet, and the captains of the individual ships. In December of 1519, the fleet reached the coast of South America, where they repaired the ships, supplied more food and water, and befriended the local Indians. As they continued sailing, three captains mutinied, but were caught by Magellan and later faced death. Soon they approached the “Land of the Big Feet” where a race of men of incredible size lived. Later while sailing through rough seas, the Sa
ntiago was destroyed. However, they had finally found El Paso, a passageway to the Far East. In October of 1520, Magellan found a deep, narrow strait that was later named after him. While they tried to get through the strait, the San Antonio secretly left the fleet and headed back for Spain. Magellan, seemingly unaffected, continued on with his three surviving ships into the “Great South Sea”. As they continued on through the Pacific Ocean, Magellan slowly realized how wrong he had been in his calculations of the size of the Pacific Ocean. It was far larger than what he had expected, plus food and water was running out. The men ate even the most bizarre objects, such as sawdust and leather, to stay alive. Slowly, every man started to weaken and died. The fleet finally spotted the Mariana Islands, about 1,250 miles away from the Philippines. Already, they had crossed over 8,000 miles of the Pacific Ocean. 10 days later they had reached the Philippines, where there were plentiful fish, fruits, vegetables, and the Filipino were extremely welcoming and kind. This was a personal triumph for Magellan. He had reached the Philippines sailing eastward from Portugal before, and now sailing westward toward the Philippines; he had completed his trip around the world. Thus, he was the first man ever to sail around the world.
ntiago was destroyed. However, they had finally found El Paso, a passageway to the Far East. In October of 1520, Magellan found a deep, narrow strait that was later named after him. While they tried to get through the strait, the San Antonio secretly left the fleet and headed back for Spain. Magellan, seemingly unaffected, continued on with his three surviving ships into the “Great South Sea”. As they continued on through the Pacific Ocean, Magellan slowly realized how wrong he had been in his calculations of the size of the Pacific Ocean. It was far larger than what he had expected, plus food and water was running out. The men ate even the most bizarre objects, such as sawdust and leather, to stay alive. Slowly, every man started to weaken and died. The fleet finally spotted the Mariana Islands, about 1,250 miles away from the Philippines. Already, they had crossed over 8,000 miles of the Pacific Ocean. 10 days later they had reached the Philippines, where there were plentiful fish, fruits, vegetables, and the Filipino were extremely welcoming and kind. This was a personal triumph for Magellan. He had reached the Philippines sailing eastward from Portugal before, and now sailing westward toward the Philippines; he had completed his trip around the world. Thus, he was the first man ever to sail around the world.How did he pass away?
On April 27, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan’s life of adventure came to an end. Magellan and a group of volunteers started converting Filipinos into Christians, and sailed to an island across from Cebu. Instead of a warm greeting, they were savagely attacked by the islanders. Magellan was unable to defend himself well enough due to his prior injuries to his leg, and fell back into the water. He was killed with a poison arrow through his foot and a spear through his heart. The crew continued on without their leader, the Spanish captains feeling happy inside. They never liked Magellan because he was Portuguese. The Concepcion was sunk purposefully, and the Trinidad sank because of overloading in the Spice Islands. Only the Victoria survived, along with 18 of the 277 men. She reached home on September 6, 1522, guided by Captain Sebastian del Cano.
Why were Magellan's discoveries important?
Ferdinand Magellan's voyage was one of the most important discoveries made in history. At that time, everyone was under the assumption that the Earth was flat. They thought that if you reached the edge of the Earth, you would fall down. However, Magellan's journey proved them wrong because it demonstrated that the Earth was actually round. Magellan also charted over 1,243 miles of the coast of South America. His discoveries are well noted and will be remembered throughout history.
Bibliography:
Books:
Blackwood, Alan. Ferdinand Magellan. New York: Bookwright Press, 1986. 1-31. Print
Blackwood, Alan. Ferdinand Magellan. New York: Bookwright Press, 1986. 1-31. Print
Websites:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1519magellan.html
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