Magellan expedition

The Magellan expedition, sometimes termed the Magellan–Elcano expedition, was a 16th-century Spanish expedition planned and led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Its purpose was to secure a maritime trade route with the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, in present-day Indonesia. The expedition departed Spain in 1519 and returned there in 1522 under the command of Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano, who completed the voyage after Magellan's death in the Philippines.

One of the most significant voyages in the Age of Discovery, the nearly three-year expedition totaled 60,440 km (37,560 mi) and achieved the first circumnavigation of Earth in history. It also marked the first crossing of the Pacific by a European expedition, revealing the vast scale of that ocean, and proved that ships could sail around the world on a western sea route. The expedition was funded mostly by King Charles I of Spain, with the hope that it would discover a profitable western route to the Spice Islands.

The five-ship fleet left Spain on 20 September 1519 with about 270 men. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ships continued south along the eastern coast of South America. Entering the Strait of Magellan on 1 November 1520, the fleet passed through to the Pacific Ocean, which Magellan himself named Mar Pacifico. The fleet crossed the Pacific in 98 days, stopped in Guam and the Philippines, and successfully reached the Moluccas in November 1521.

The expedition endured many hardships, including sabotage and mutinies by the mostly Spanish crew, starvation, scurvy, storms, and hostile encounters with indigenous people. Only about 40 men and one ship—the Victoria—completed the circumnavigation, and Magellan himself died in battle in the Philippines in April 1521. A series of officers succeeded him as captain-general, with Elcano eventually leading the Victoria's return trip through the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

Background

Christopher Columbus sailed to the west between 1492 and 1504, trying to reach the Indies and set up trade between Spain and Asian kingdoms. But Spain learned that the lands in the Americas were a new continent, not part of Asia. In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas gave Portugal control of routes around Africa, and Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498. The spice trade was very important, so Spain needed a new route to Asia.

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese sailor who had served in India, Malacca, and Morocco. A friend, Francisco Serrão, visited the Moluccas, also called the Spice Islands, and sent letters to Magellan describing their beauty and wealth. These letters inspired Magellan to plan an expedition to reach the islands by sailing west.

Magellan asked King Manuel I of Portugal for support but was refused. In 1517, Magellan moved to Seville, Spain, with his partner Rui Faleiro. They shared their plan with King Charles I of Spain. If the voyage succeeded, it would create a new route to the Spice Islands without upsetting Portugal. On March 22, 1518, King Charles named Magellan and Faleiro captains general and gave them special rewards if their journey was successful.

The trip was paid for mostly by the Spanish Crown, which provided five ships and supplies. Because money was tight, the Crown also used private investors, including a merchant named Cristóbal de Haro and German banking houses like the Fuggers. Expert mapmakers Jorge Reinel and Diego Ribero helped prepare maps for the journey. There were many challenges, such as money problems, opposition from Portugal, and disagreements among the leaders.

Construction and provisions

The fleet had five ships filled with supplies enough for two years of travel. They called it the Armada del Maluco, named after the Spice Islands in Indonesia. The ships were mostly black because of the tar covering them. The total cost of the expedition was a lot of money called maravedis.

Food was very important. Most of it was wine and hardtack, a type of hard bread. They also had flour, salted meat, and even some live animals like cows and pigs. Other foods included cheese, almonds, mustard, and figs. There was also a special food made from preserved quince called Carne de membrillo, which might have helped prevent sickness during the trip.

Ships

The fleet started with five ships, and one of them, the Victoria, was the only one to finish the whole journey around the world. Not much is known about how the ships looked because there are no drawings from that time.

Crew

About 270 men were on the crew. They came from many places, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and more. Some were from other backgrounds too. One man who was supposed to help lead the trip could not go because of health issues, so others took his place. A Venetian scholar named Antonio Pigafetta joined the trip and kept a journal, which is one of the main records we have of the voyage.

Crossing the Atlantic

On August 10, 1519, five ships led by Ferdinand Magellan left Spain. After waiting for over five weeks, they set sail on September 20. On September 26, they stopped at Tenerife in the Canary Islands to gather supplies.

As the ships sailed south along Africa's coast, they faced strong storms. During these storms, the crew saw a glowing light on the mast, which they felt was a good sign.

During the voyage, there was a serious problem when one of the ship's officers was caught in a wrong act with another sailor. Magellan held a trial and made a hard decision. Later, the other captains challenged Magellan's leadership, leading to tension among the crew. Magellan had to take action to keep order and continue the journey.

Passage through South America

Arrival in Brazil

Main article: Portuguese colonization of the Americas

The fleet reached the coast of Brazil, a place known since around 1500. They stopped at Rio de Janeiro, where they fixed their ships and got food and water. The local people welcomed them because it had not rained for two months, and it rained when the fleet arrived. They traded items like mirrors and knives for food and goods.

Río de la Plata

The fleet sailed south looking for a way around South America. They found a wide body of water and thought it was the passage they needed, but it turned out to be a river.

Search for strait

The fleet continued south along the coast, facing rough weather and dangerous waters as they searched for a passage.

Overwintering

When winter came, the fleet stopped at a safe harbour called Port St. Julian to wait out the cold months.

Easter mutiny

Soon after stopping at Port St. Julian, some of the crew tried to take control from Magellan. They were stopped, and those involved faced serious consequences.

Mutiny trial

The leaders of the mutiny were tried. Some were punished severely, while others were left on an island.

Loss of Santiago

One of the ships, the Santiago, went to explore and got stuck in a storm. The crew made it safely back to land after a difficult journey.

Move to Santa Cruz

After hearing about a better place further south, Magellan moved the fleet to Santa Cruz for the rest of the winter.

Strait of Magellan

In October, the fleet found the passage they had been searching for, which is now called the Strait of Magellan. They sailed through it and reached the Pacific Ocean.

Desertion of San Antonio

One ship, the San Antonio, did not follow the fleet. It returned to Spain on its own, and those on board faced trials when they arrived.

Pacific crossing

Ferdinand Magellan and his crew did not know how big the Pacific Ocean really was. He thought they could reach the Spice Islands, far to the west, in just a few days. But the journey took over three months! They started crossing the Pacific Ocean on November 28, 1520, and sailed for a long time before stopping at Guam and then the Philippines.

The sailors did not have enough food and water for such a long trip. They ate hard, old bread full of bugs and drank dirty water. Many of the men got very sick because they lacked something important in their food, which we now know is vitamin C. Only a few of the crew members did not get sick because they ate special preserved fruit that had this vitamin.

Guam and the Philippines

The fleet reached the Mariana Islands and later arrived at Guam, where they met the local Chamorro people. Some Chamorros took items from the ships, leading to a brief conflict. The next day, the crew retaliated, burning some houses and recovering a small boat before continuing their journey.

Soon after, the fleet reached the Philippines. They first landed on Homonhon, where they met friendly locals and rested. They then moved to Limasawa, where Magellan met local leaders and shared gifts. On Easter Day, Magellan and his men held the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines, and many locals showed interest in learning more about the religion.

The fleet then sailed to Cebu, where Magellan met the island's leader, Rajah Humabon. Magellan shared demonstrations of his weapons and shared his beliefs with the locals. Many people from Cebu and nearby islands learned about the new beliefs.

The Philippines

Main article: First Mass in the Philippines

Cebu

Main article: Battle of Mactan

Moluccas

After many difficult months, the remaining crew of the expedition reached the Moluccas, also known as the Spice Islands, in present-day Indonesia. They arrived on November 8 and met with the leader of Tidore Island, who welcomed them and agreed to trade spices with the crew. The men traded goods like cloth and knives for large amounts of cloves.

The ship Victoria then began its journey back to Spain, while the Trinidad stayed behind to be repaired. However, the Trinidad could not be fixed and was later captured by Portuguese sailors. It was eventually wrecked in a storm.

Return to Spain

The ship Victoria began its journey home on December 21, 1521, led by Juan Sebastián Elcano. By May 6, 1522, it had passed the Cape of Good Hope with very little food left. Sadly, some crew members passed away from hunger before they reached Cape Verde for more supplies. They were surprised to find that the date was actually July 10, 1522, one day later than they had recorded.

After a tricky situation where some crew were held back, Victoria escaped with a valuable load of spices. On September 6, 1522, Elcano and the remaining crew arrived back in Spain, almost three years after they had set out. They traveled to Seville and then overland to Valladolid to meet the Emperor.

Survivors

When Victoria returned, only 18 men from the original 270 were still alive. Along with them were three people from the Moluccas who had joined the ship earlier.

King Charles worked to bring back the 12 men who had been held by the Portuguese, and they slowly returned to Spain over the next year.

Between 1525 and 1526, the remaining survivors of another ship, Trinidad, who had been held in Portugal, were also released after long discussions. Only five of them were still alive.

Accounts of voyage

Antonio Pigafetta’s journal is the main source for learning about Magellan’s expedition. Another early report was written by Maximilianus Transylvanus, who talked to some of the survivors in 1522 and published his story in 1523.

Other writers also recorded what they knew. Peter Martyr d'Anghiera wrote a chronicle in Spanish around 1522 or 1523. Spanish historian Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas wrote about the voyage in 1601 and again in 1615, using information from sources that are now lost.

In addition to Pigafetta’s journal, 11 other crew members wrote down their experiences during the trip. These include logs, letters, and statements from people such as Juan Sebastián Elcano and Ginés de Mafra.

Legacy

Subsequent expeditions

After Magellan's voyage, both Portugal and Spain tried to decide the exact location of a line that would divide the world into two parts. They couldn't agree because they didn’t know enough about the Earth at that time.

Soon after Magellan’s return, Spain sent another expedition to claim the Spice Islands. This group had many skilled sailors but faced many difficulties. They finally reached an agreement with Portugal, which allowed Portugal to keep the Spice Islands and Spain to keep the Philippines.

Scientific accomplishments

Magellan’s expedition was the first to sail all the way around the world and to find a passage through South America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They saw animals that Europeans had never seen before, like the guanaco, llama, vicuña, alpaca, and even penguins.

The voyage showed that the Earth was much bigger than people thought — about 60,440 kilometers around. It also helped people understand why the date changes when you travel around the world.

Quincentenary

In 2019, many events took place to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s journey. Monuments were placed in the Philippines to mark where Magellan’s ships stopped.