Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the Spanish expedition that first circumnavigated the globe. He is remembered for the discovery of the strait at the southern tip of South America.

Early Life and Education

Magellan was born in about 1480 in Sabrosa in northern Portugal. He was of noble birth and served as a page at the royal court.

He joined the Portuguese fleet and served in the East Indies. He took part in the conquest of Malacca and the expedition to the Moluccas.

He fell out with the Portuguese king and renounced his allegiance. He offered his services to the Spanish crown and was given the command of an expedition.

The Expedition

Magellan sailed from Seville in 1519 with five ships and about two hundred and seventy men. He sought the western route to the Spice Islands.

He explored the coast of South America and discovered the strait that bears his name. The strait connects the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.

He crossed the Pacific Ocean, which he named the Pacific because of its calm. The crossing took more than three months and the crew suffered from the hunger and the thirst.

He reached the Philippines in 1521. He was killed in the battle of Mactan with the native chief Lapu-Lapu.

The Circumnavigation

After the death of Magellan the expedition was led by Juan Sebastián Elcano. The survivors sailed to the Moluccas and loaded the ships with the spices.

The expedition returned to Spain in 1522 with the single ship the Victoria. Only eighteen of the crew of the two hundred and seventy survived.

The voyage demonstrated the extent of the globe and the feasibility of the circumnavigation. It also revealed the need for an international date line.

The expedition established the Spanish claim to the Philippines. The trade route across the Pacific was later developed by the Spanish.

The Legacy

Magellan is regarded as one of the greatest of the navigators. The Strait of Magellan and the Magellanic Clouds are named in his honour.

The voyage is a landmark of the Age of Discovery. It proved the theory of the spherical earth by the direct experience.

The expedition was the first to demonstrate the true size of the planet. It opened the way for the later exploration of the Pacific.

He is commemorated by the monuments and the institutions that bear his name. The debate over his treatment of the native peoples continues.

The Preparation and the Plan

Magellan proposed the search for the strait that would connect the Atlantic and the Pacific. He was convinced of the existence of the passage.

He was given the command of the expedition by Charles I of Spain. The fleet was equipped with the five ships and the provisions for the two years.

He faced the opposition and the suspicion of the Spanish officers. The Portuguese commander had to assert his authority throughout the voyage.

The Death at Mactan

Magellan became involved in the dispute between the local chiefs in the Philippines. He supported the chief Humabon against Lapu-Lapu.

He led the attack on the island of Mactan with the small force. He was killed in the battle and the expedition was left without its leader.

The survivors burned the ship the Concepcion and sailed on. The expedition continued under the command of the experienced officers.

The Straits and the Pacific

Magellan discovered the strait at the southern tip of South America in 1520. The strait was named the Strait of Magellan in his honour.

He named the ocean the Pacific because of its calm. The crossing took more than three months and the crew suffered from the hunger and the thirst.

The expedition reached the Philippines in 1521. The islands were claimed for Spain and the contact with the native peoples began.

The Treaty and the Rivalry

The expedition was motivated by the rivalry with Portugal. The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the world between Spain and Portugal.

Magellan sought the western route to the Spice Islands. The expedition demonstrated the value of the route across the Pacific.

The voyage established the Spanish claim to the Philippines. The Spanish trade route across the Pacific was developed in the following decades.

The Historical Significance

The expedition was the first to demonstrate the true size of the planet. It proved the theory of the spherical earth by the direct experience.

The voyage revealed the need for an international date line. The survivors found that they had lost a day in their reckoning.

The expedition is a landmark of the Age of Discovery. The maps and the accounts of the voyage transformed the European knowledge of the world.

See also

• Age of Discovery
• Circumnavigation
• Strait of Magellan
• Spice Islands