The Saavedra Expedition to the Philippines

EVERYTHING HISTORY

4 Oct 202103:08

Summary

TLDRIn 1527, Hernan Cortes launched an expedition under the command of his cousin, Alvaro de Saavedra, to find new lands and spices in the Pacific Ocean. After a series of voyages and setbacks, including the loss of two ships and Saavedra's death, the expedition, led by Pedro de Alvarado, returned to Spain in 1534 with only eight survivors. Their journey marked the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean from the Americas and contributed to the early Spanish exploration of the region.

Takeaways

🚢 In 1527, Hernan Cortes organized a new expedition to search for the missing fleet of the Losa Expedition, with his cousin Alvaro de Saavedra as the commander.
🌊 The true aim of the expedition was to explore new lands in the Pacific Ocean and to bring back spice plants.
🗓️ On October 31, 1527, the expedition set sail from Zio to Nejo Guerrero.
🌪️ On December 15, after sailing 1170 leagues, the Espiritu Santo and the Santiago were lost in a sudden squall and were never heard from again.
📍 On February 2, 1528, the La Florida sighted the Philippines and anchored at a small island off the north coast of Mindanao after 95 days and 1923 leagues of sailing.
🏆 This voyage made Saavedra the first navigator to cross the Pacific Ocean from the Americas.
🏰 On March 30, 1528, the La Florida arrived at Tito Ray, a Spanish stronghold in the Moluccas, where they joined forces with the remaining men from the Losa Expedition.
⚔️ They fought against the Portuguese in the neighboring Turnout Tent.
🛳️ On June 14, 1528, Saavedra set sail for New Spain (Mexico), but was diverted by the northeast trade winds back to the Moluccas.
🔄 On May 3, 1529, after Saavedra's death, Pedro de Alvarado took command and attempted to navigate back to the Americas but failed to find westerly winds.
💔 After the death of Lasso, they decided to return to the Malaccas, arriving next to T del Rey on December 8, 1529, where they were captured by the Portuguese and held for five years.
🏡 In 1534, the surviving eight members of the crew returned to Spain.

Q & A

Who was Hernan Cortes and what was his role in the 1527 expedition?
-Hernan Cortes was a Spanish Conquistador who led the expedition to search for the missing fleet of the Losa expedition in 1527. He commissioned his cousin, Alvaro de Saavedra, to command the new expedition.
What was the real objective of the 1527 expedition led by Alvaro de Saavedra?
-The true purpose of the 1527 expedition was to explore new lands in the South Sea, also known as the Pacific Ocean, and to bring back spice plants.
When did the expedition led by Alvaro de Saavedra set sail from Zio to Nejo Guerrero?
-The expedition set sail from Zio to Nejo Guerrero on October 31, 1527.
What happened to the ships Espiritu Santo and Santiago during the expedition?
-On December 15th, after having sailed 1170 leagues, the Espiritu Santo and the Santiago were swept away by a sudden squall and were never heard from again.
When and where did the La Florida, under the command of Saavedra, first sight the Philippines?
-The La Florida first sighted the Philippines on February 2nd, 1528, and anchored at a small island off the north coast of Mindanao the following day.
How many leagues did the La Florida sail before reaching Tito Ray?
-The La Florida sailed 1923 leagues before arriving at Tito Ray on March 30th, 1528.
What was the fate of the men from the Losa expedition that were found at Tito Ray?
-The men remaining from the Losa expedition were found at Tito Ray and they joined Saavedra's crew to fight against the Portuguese in the neighboring Turnout.
Why did Saavedra set sail for New Spain, Mexico, on June 14, 1528?
-Saavedra set sail for New Spain, Mexico, to carry out the instructions of the expedition and to provide further assistance to the Spaniards in T del Rey.
What difficulties did Saavedra's expedition face on their return journey to the Moluccas?
-Saavedra's expedition was diverted by the northeast trade winds, which threw them back to the Moluccas, and they returned to T del Rey on November 19, 1528.
What happened to Alvaro de Saavedra during the second attempt to return to Spain?
-During the second attempt, Alvaro de Saavedra died, and command was taken over by Pedro de Alvarado. They could not find westerly winds and decided to turn around and return to the Malaccas.
How long were the surviving members of Saavedra's crew held captive by the Portuguese after their return to T del Rey?
-The surviving eight members of Saavedra's crew were held captive by the Portuguese for five years before they made it back to Spain in 1534.

Outlines

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🏴‍☠️ Alvaro de Saavedra's Pacific Expedition

In 1527, Hernan Cortes initiated a new expedition under the command of his cousin, Alvaro de Saavedra, with the secret aim of discovering new lands in the Pacific Ocean and bringing back spice plants. The expedition set sail from Zio to Nejo Guerrero on October 31, 1527. After a series of events, including the loss of two ships, the La Florida reached the Philippines on February 2, 1528, making Saavedra the first navigator to cross the Pacific from the Americas. The expedition continued, with the La Florida arriving at Tito Ray, a Spanish stronghold, on March 30, 1528, where they joined forces with the remaining men from the Loa expedition to fight the Portuguese.

🌪️ The Trials and Tribulations of Saavedra's Journey

Saavedra's expedition faced numerous challenges, including being diverted by northeast trade winds back to the Moluccas after setting sail for New Spain on June 14, 1528. Despite attempts to navigate back down south and explore the western part of New Guinea, the death of Saavedra led to Pedro de las Alas taking command. The expedition failed to find westerly winds and decided to return to the Malaccas, arriving back at T del Rey on December 8, 1529. Unfortunately, they were captured by the Portuguese and held captive for five years until the surviving eight crew members returned to Spain in 1534.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Hernan Cortes

Hernan Cortes was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire. In the context of the video, he is mentioned as preparing a new expedition in 1527 to search for the missing fleet of the Losa expedition, showing his role as a significant historical figure in exploration and conquest.

💡Alvaro de Saavedra

Alvaro de Saavedra was a Spanish navigator and a cousin of Hernan Cortes. He was commissioned to command the new expedition mentioned in the video. His role is central to the narrative as he is credited with being the first navigator to cross the Pacific Ocean from the Americas.

💡Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on Earth, and it plays a significant role in the video's theme of exploration. Saavedra's expedition aimed to find new lands in the Pacific, and his crossing of this ocean is a key historical event highlighted in the video.

💡Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo is one of the ships mentioned in the script that sailed from Zio to Nejo Guerrero. It, along with the Santiago, is significant as it represents the maritime efforts of the expedition and the challenges faced when it disappeared after a sudden squall.

💡La Florida

La Florida is the name of the ship that is central to the video's narrative. It is the vessel that Saavedra commanded and that eventually reached the Philippines, marking a significant milestone in the history of navigation.

💡Mindanao

Mindanao is an island in the Philippines where the La Florida anchored after its long voyage. It is a geographical marker in the script that signifies the far reach of Saavedra's expedition and the extent of Spanish exploration during that era.

💡Tito Ray

Tito Ray refers to a Spanish stronghold in the Moluccas, where the remaining men from the Losa expedition were found. It is a location of strategic importance in the video's story, as it is where the La Florida arrived and where the men joined forces to fight the Portuguese.

💡Portuguese

The Portuguese are mentioned in the video as adversaries in the region. The script describes a conflict involving the Spanish and Portuguese, highlighting the competitive nature of exploration and colonization during the Age of Discovery.

💡New Spain

New Spain was a historical name for the Spanish territories in the Americas. In the video, it is the intended destination for Saavedra's expedition after leaving Tito Ray, but they were diverted by the northeast trade winds, which changed the course of their journey.

💡Malaccas

The Malaccas, or Malacca, was a strategic location in Southeast Asia and a significant point of interest for European powers during the Age of Exploration. In the script, it is mentioned as the place where the expedition returned to after being diverted from their course to New Spain.

💡Captivity

Captivity refers to the state of being held in confinement, often as a prisoner of war. In the video, the surviving crew members of the expedition were captured by the Portuguese in Malacca and held for five years, illustrating the risks and challenges faced by explorers of that time.

Highlights

In 1527, Hernan Cortes prepared a new expedition to search for the missing fleet of the Losa expedition.

Alvaro de Saavedra was commissioned to command the new expedition.

The true purpose of the expedition was to find new lands in the Pacific Ocean and to bring back spice plants.

On October 31, 1527, they sailed from Zio to Nejo Guerrero.

The Espiritu Santo and the Santiago were lost at sea after a sudden squall on December 15th.

On February 2nd, 1528, the La Florida sighted the Philippines and anchored at a small island off the north coast of Mindanao.

Saavedra became the first navigator to cross the Pacific Ocean from the Americas.

On March 30th, 1528, the La Florida arrived at Tito Ray, the Spanish stronghold in the Moluccas.

The remaining men from the Losa expedition were found and joined them to fight the Portuguese.

Saavedra set sail for New Spain (Mexico) on June 14, 1528, to bring further assistance to the Spaniards.

The expedition was diverted back to the Moluccas by the northeast trade winds.

Saavedra tried again to sail on May 3rd, 1529, navigating down south and then north.

Saavedra died during the journey, and Pedro de Alvarado took command.

The ship turned around due to the lack of westerly winds after Alvarado's death.

The crew arrived back in Malacca next to T del Rey on December 8, 1529.

The crew was captured by the Portuguese and held in captivity for five years.

In 1534, the surviving eight members of the crew returned to Spain.