The Portuguese Explorers: Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer born in Northern Portugal in 1492. His parents , were very wealthy and powerful and members of the portuguese nobility but died when he was only 10 years old. Before he became an explorer Magellan was first a soldier. During a Battle Magellan lost an eye after being shot in it and was injured and lost his leg, the wooden leg given to him didn’t fit properly causing him to walk with a limp. He sailed for his native Portugal, but a dispute with the Portuguese King
Manoel II turned him against the Portuguese. After that, he sailed for Spain. After recieveing letters from a good friend, Francisco Serrao about his voyage to the Spice and after reading his describtion of the Island of Ternate and the route, Magellan decided to set sail to the Spice Islands which had been claimed by the Portuguese during Serrao’s voyage. The king of Spain was interested in his plan because
Spain was looking for a better sea route to Asia than the Portuguese route. It was hard for Magellan to find sailors because none of the Spanish sailors wanted to sail with him because he was Portuguese.
Many of them were not good seamen and some of the crew were even prisoners, released from jail in return for sailing with him to Spice Island.
In September of 1519, Magellan and his crew set sail for southern Spain with five ships, the Victoria the San Antonio, the Santiago, the Trinidad, and the Conception. In the beginning all was well the small fleet sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and reached South America. There, they stocked up on goods.
They continued down the coastline looking for a passage through south america but just couldn’t find a route through. They continued to sail further and further south and began running out of supplies. The crew revolted against Magellan so he had the men who started the rebellion killed, and they continued the journey. At last, in October of 1520, they found a passage,
Manoel II turned him against the Portuguese. After that, he sailed for Spain. After recieveing letters from a good friend, Francisco Serrao about his voyage to the Spice and after reading his describtion of the Island of Ternate and the route, Magellan decided to set sail to the Spice Islands which had been claimed by the Portuguese during Serrao’s voyage. The king of Spain was interested in his plan because
Spain was looking for a better sea route to Asia than the Portuguese route. It was hard for Magellan to find sailors because none of the Spanish sailors wanted to sail with him because he was Portuguese.
Many of them were not good seamen and some of the crew were even prisoners, released from jail in return for sailing with him to Spice Island.
In September of 1519, Magellan and his crew set sail for southern Spain with five ships, the Victoria the San Antonio, the Santiago, the Trinidad, and the Conception. In the beginning all was well the small fleet sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and reached South America. There, they stocked up on goods.
They continued down the coastline looking for a passage through south america but just couldn’t find a route through. They continued to sail further and further south and began running out of supplies. The crew revolted against Magellan so he had the men who started the rebellion killed, and they continued the journey. At last, in October of 1520, they found a passage,