Age of Exploration

Ferdinand
Magellan
Where was Ferdinand
Magellan from?
Where was Ferdinand
Magellan from?

● Ferdinand Magellan was born around

the 1480s in a city named Sabrosa
located in Northern Portugal
● Son of Rui de Magalhães and Alda de
Mesquita (portuguese nobility)
● At the age of twelve he traveled to
Lisbon to serve as a page at Queen
Leonora's court
What countries did
Ferdinand Magellan
explore for?
What countries did Ferdinand
Magellan explore for?

● Was first an explorer for Portugal (his

home country)
● Served for King Manuel I of Portugal for
over 20 years.
● The Portuguese court didn’t allow him
to begin a journey to the spice islands
● This made him become an explorer for
Spain (Spain funded his voyage unlike
Portugal)
Where did Ferdinand
Magellan explore?
Where did Ferdinand Magellan
explore?

● Around South America

● The Pacific Ocean (First European to do
so)
● The Philippines
● Some parts of the Atlantic Ocean
Why was he exploring
these regions?
Why was he exploring these
regions?

● Primarily wanted to to find a western

sea route to the Spice Islands (modern
day Indonesia)
● Wanted to reach South-East Asia
(location of spices and valuable gems)
● The desire to spread Christianity
 How did Ferdinand
Magellan‘s exploration
help his country?
How did Ferdinand Magellan‘s
exploration help his country?
● Expanded the Spanish empire
● Discovered the philippines which
became an important Spanish colony
● Contributed to Scientific and
Cartographic Advancements
● Brought prestige and recognition to
Spain and Portugal
● Gave Spain the upper hand in trading
spices
● Contributed to europe's knowledge
and understanding of the world
How did his discovery
affect the areas he
explored?
How did his discovery affect
the areas he explored?
● Increased European influence in the
spice islands
● Spice trade in these islands became
more centralized
● Many natives died due to diseases and
overwork in spice plantations
● Increased global demand for spices
What year did he explore?
What year did he explore?

● In 1519 he set out of Seville, Spain with

a fleet of five ships
● In 1521 he was killed in the Philippines
by a poison arrow
● His expedition still continued after his
death completing the first
circumnavigation of Earth
How long was his voyage?
 How long was his voyage?

● Began on August 10, 1519

● Ended on September 6, 1522,
● Three years and twenty-eight days
● Was alive for 529 days of the expedition
What were the challenges
faced?
What were the challenges
faced?
● Storms (caused major damage to his
fleet)
● Several of his crew were dissatisfied
with the leadership and difficult
conditions
● Many indigenous groups that they
encountered were hostile
● Disease and malnutrition (The crew
often ate meager rations, and the long
voyage took a toll on the crew’s health)
Evidence of persistence
and risk-taking
 Persistence

● Spend years persuading the portuguese

and Spanish courts for funding
● Undeterred by setbacks and obstacles
● Pushed his crew forward in the face of
adversity
 Risk-Taking

● Undertook a risky expedition into

uncharted waters
● Navigated without accurate navigational
tools
● Took his crew into unknown and
potentially hostile territories
● Put his own life and the lives of his
crew on the line to achieve his goals
 What was his motive for
exploring the region, and
how do we know?
Motives for his
explorations
● Wanted to open a new trade route to
the spice islands
● Motivated to spread christianity
● Motivated to gain fame and glory
How do we know
this?
● Records from Spanish and Portuguese
governments (in addition to other
european government officials)
● Letters and journal entries from
Ferdinand Magellan and his crew
Citations
Domingues, F.C. and Mairin Mitchell (2023) Ferdinand Magellan, Encyclopædia Britannica.
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ferdinand-Magellan (Accessed:
06 June 2023).

Biography.com Editors (2014) Ferdinand Magellan Biography, Biography.com. Available at:

https://www.biography.com/history-culture/ferdinand-magellan (Accessed: 07 June
2023).

History.com Editors (2009) Ferdinand Magellan - Early years, Expedition & Legacy,
History.com. Available at:
https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/ferdinand-magellan (Accessed: 08 June
2023).