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Long before Magellan was born, the Philippines had been populated by our Filipino ancestors.

The coming of Magellan to Philippines shore in 1521 was a discovery to Occidental peoples, but to Filipinos, it was more of a rediscovery. European Trade with Asia. Since time immemorial, Asian products, notably silk and species, found their way into European marts through several caravan and maritime routes. The Oriental then was a region of mystery to the Europeans, who were stirred by wondrous tales of Asias fabulous riches told by the crusaders and the medieval travelers.

The fall of Constantinople (1453) and the emergence of the Ottoman Turks closed the former trade routes to the East; hence the bold navigators of Europe began to blaze new routes across the seas. Portugal and Spain outstripped other European nations in geographical discoveries. Under the inspired leadership of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese sea captains discovered new lands.

In 1441 Antonio Gonzalvez rounded Cape Blanco, Africa and brought the first Negro slaves to Europe; In 1445 Dennis Fernandez discovered Cape Verde Islands; In 1487 Bartolome Diaz discovered the Cape of Good Hope; In 1498 Vasco de Gama reached Calicut, India, after rounding the Cape, thereby opening the eastern route to the Orient.

The end of the reconquisitas (war against the Moors) in 1492 paved the way for great voyages including the discovery of the New World ( America) for Spain. Christopher Columbus, who had failed to convince the King of Portugal that he could reach the East by sailing westward, was able to get the support of the Spanish Crown.

Between 1499 and 1503 Amerigo Vespucci after whom America was named, explores the New World for Spain. On September 25, 1513 Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean, calling it the South Sea. After these remarkable voyages, Portugal and Spain became keen rivals in colonizing new lands because of gold, spices, and other merchandise found in the Orient, as well as their religious zeal to proselytize the natives.

On May 3, 1493, Pope Alexander VI, attempting to settle the rivalry, issued a papal bull known as the Inter caetera. The Pope decreed that the Spanish zone of exploration should be west of the imaginary line drawn north to south, 100 leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands. All lands east of the demarcation line should belong to Portugal. The demarcation line was drawn to identify Spanish and Portuguese spheres of exploration and conquest. The following year, the two kingdoms agreed in the Treaty of Tordesillas to move the demarcation line 370 leagues west of Cape Verde Islands and still be guided by the provision of the papal bull.

In 1505, Ferdinand Magellan (1448-1521), a member of the nobility of Portugal sailed with a fleet carrying the first Portuguese viceroy to the East Indies in 1506 and from there, was sent to Malacca (Melaka) in the Malay Peninsula and the spice markets of Ambon and Banda in Western Indonesia. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1510. He returned to Portugal in 1512. Through observing wind directions and ocean tides, Magellan later conceived the idea of a passage to the west or around South America to reach the Moluccas or Spice Island (islands of present day Indonesia)

While finding the chance to present his plan to King Manuel of Portugal, Magellan proposed to the king his plan to travel a westward route to the Moluccas. The king refused and even cancelled his promotion probably because of charges of financial irregularities while he was in Morocco. Disgusted by the kings response, he renounced his Portugal citizenship. He went to Spain in 1517. In his new found home, Magellan met influential persons who helped him to get support for his plan to find a new route to the Spice Islands from King Charles ( later Holy Roman Emperor Charles V)

One of them was Bishop Juan de Fonseca, the head of the Royal Council of the Indies (division in charge of overseas expeditions). Spurred by the competition to win against Portugal in obtaining high-prices spices, Spain commissioned Magellan to find a route to Moluccas by sailing west. Such passage would be beneficial to Spain for Portugal controlled the eastward route to the East Indies around Africas Cape of Good Hope. The contract for the expedition was signed on March 28, 1518. Magellan was named captain-general of the expedition.

Magellan left the port of San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain, on September 20, 1519 with the five ships namely Trinidad, Concepcion, Santiago, San Antonio , and Victoria together with about 250 men. The expedition intended to circumnavigate the earth in the service of Spain. Accompanying him were Fr. Pedro de Valderrama (fleet chaplain), Antonio Pigafetta (chronicler of the expedition), Duarte Barbosa (Magellans brother-in-law), and his Malay slave Enrique of Malacca (acting as interpreter).

Gaspar

Quesada captain of the Concepcion

Antonio de Coca captain of the Victoria de Cartegeana captain of San Antonio Magellan- captain of Santiago

Juan

Ferdinand

Juan

Sebastian del Cano captain of Trinidad

The fleet sailed through familiar waters along the west coast of Africa. They reached the Canaries on September 26. Crossing the Atlantic, they landed on the South American coast, now Pernambuco, Brazil, on November 29. Magellan continued the voyage, reaching Rio de Jenero on December 13. He named if Santa Lucia, because he landed there on the saints feast day. There they traded with the native Americans for provision. The voyage continued at Rio de Plata. By the time they were at the tip of the South American continent, it was already winter. The snowstorms were in a headstrong. The Men became apprehensive and asked Magellan that they all return to Spain.

Magellan declined. Instead, he asked them to take courage. The ships took shelter from storms in Port San Julian (now in Argentina) in March 1520. Unknown to Magellan, some officers took into command the maneuvering of three ships, the San Antonio, the Concepcion, and the Victoria. The next day, Gaspar de Quesada, captain of the Concepcion, wrote to Magellan that he and others would not recognize his authority unless they return immediately to Spain. Still, Magellan refused to heed their petition

Juan de Cartegena, Antonio de Coca, Juan Sebastian del Cano (called Elcano) and Gaspar de Quesada were found guilty of treason but pardoned. But Cartegeana continued to plot again, this time with one of the priest, Pero Sanchez de Reina. They were probably jealous because the captain-general of this Spain expedition was a Portuguese. Magellan had the two left off the coast of an unnamed island. With the first signs of spring, the exploratory voyage continued in search of a route to the Southern Sea (now Pacific Ocean). A strong typhoon had driven ashore and destroyed the smallest ship, Santiago.

In August, the four ships went farther south and eventually, they came upon a strait which Magellan called Strait of All Saints (now Strait of Magellan). Magellan sent the San Antonio to explore the southeast opening of the strait. Trinidad entered the southwest. Secretly, San Antonio piloted by Esteban Gomez ( a Portuguese) deserted on the night of November 20 and sailed back for Spain. The fleet reached the Southern Sea, which Magellan named Ocean Pacific because it was calm. Unfortunately, Magellan had underestimated the oceans size. In the next

five months, the ship was running out of supplies. Instead of biscuits, the men ate sawdust. They also started to eat leather rope guards and even rats. Many get sick and scurvy (a gum disease). A number of his men died. But Magellan and his men bravely sailed on and by March 6, 1521 they had reached an island in the Western Pacific. He called Islas Ladrones (or island of Thieves, later to be named Marianas in honor of Maria Ana of Austria, Queen Regent of Spain) because some of the native Chamorros had stolen a boat from the flagship. To stop them, Magellan ordered his men to fire their guns.

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