Ferdinand Magellan: Unit 5 Lesson 3 Day 2
Important term:
• Circumnavigate: to sail all the way around
• Magellan circumnavigated the world!
Magellan’s Early life
• Born in 1480 in northern Portugal
• Parents died when he was only 10 years old
• At the age of 12, Magellan was appointed as the queen’s messenger in the royal court.
– Young boys were appointed as messenger as a source of education.
– He learned about many famous explorers and the most important information about navigating ships.
– First voyage at sea – 25 years old

Landfall: Brazil
• Sail west from Spain to find a strait through South America
• Storms & calms in the Atlantic
• All 5 ships make landfall on east coast of South America
• Trade with natives and restock food/water supplies
Wintering over in Patagonia
• Expedition leaves Brazil
• Heads south along the coastline
• Stop and Anchor in a bay for the winter
• Meet the natives of Patagonia
• Lose 1 ship during a storm
The Mutiny
• Group of Spanish Offices mutinies and takes control of 3 of the 4 remaining ships
– Why? Possibly due to Magellan being Portuguese.
• Magellan regains control of the fleet
– Mutineers are severely punished
Discovering the Strait
• Spring arrives and begin sailing south
• Enter a large bay….

• Magellan sends 2 ships to explore it
• Ships return with news of a small channel entering another bay
• 4 ships enter
• But Mutineers on 1 ship sneak away and heads back to Spain.
• 3 ships make it through to the Pacific
Crossing the Pacific
• 3 months – sail WNW across the Pacific
• Food rots
– Eat rats, leather, and sawdust
– Scurvy kills many sailors
• Fleet makes landfall on Guam and Rota
– Resupply on food and water
• 13,000 miles of Pacific
– Finally reach the Philippines
Disaster in the Philippines
• Magellan claims islands for Spain
• Trades with natives & Baptizes many
• One island chief refuses to welcome him
– Magellan attacks the island
– As they land on the beach, Magellan’s crew is attacked
– Some of his crew escape
– Magellan is killed

The Voyage Home
• After Magellan’s Death
– Crew burns one ship and continues to sail towards the Indies
– Reach the Spice Islands and load cargo.
• 2 remaining ships head in opposite directions
– East to try to reach Mexico
– West to head to Spain
• Returns after 3 years
• Only a crew of 18 remains