Spanish Expeditions to the Philippines: Magellan-Elcano, Loaisa, Cabot, Saavedra, Villabos & Legaspi

Summary

This historical narrative details the early European expeditions to the Philippine Archipelago, commencing with Ferdinand Magellan's voyage in 1521. Despite multiple attempts by explorers like Garcia Jofre de Loaisa and Sebastian Cabot, it was Miguel López de Legazpi who successfully established the first Spanish colony in 1565. The script also covers the first circumnavigation of the globe and the Manila galleon trade, highlighting Spain's colonization of the Philippines until 1898.

Takeaways

• 🏝️ The Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of King Charles I of Spain, led the first documented European expedition to the Philippine Archipelago in 1521.
• 🛳️ After Magellan's expedition, four more were made by Garcia Jofre de Loaisa, Sebastian Cabot, Álvaro de Saavedra, and Ruy López de Villalobos, but none succeeded in colonizing the Philippines.
• 👑 King Charles I ceased sending colonizers to the islands until his son, Philip II, instructed Luis de Velasco, the Viceroy of Mexico, to prepare a new expedition.
• 🚢 Miguel López de Legazpi led the successful colonization of the Philippines, establishing the first Spanish colony and initiating the Manila galleon trade.
• 🌊 Magellan's expedition was historic for being the first circumnavigation of the globe, proving the Earth was round.
• 🌍 The name 'Philippines' was given by Ruy López de Villalobos in honor of Philip II, the Prince of Spain.
• 📜 The Treaty of Tordesillas defined the demarcation line between Spanish and Portuguese territories, which influenced the exploration and colonization efforts.
• 🏰 The establishment of the Spanish colony in the Philippines led to 333 years of Spanish rule until the Treaty of Paris in 1898.
• 🌪️ Many of the expeditions faced harsh weather conditions, leading to the loss of ships and lives, highlighting the challenges of early exploration.
• ⏳ The Manila galleon trade, initiated by Legazpi's expedition, lasted for over two and a half centuries, significantly impacting global trade and the economies of Spain and Asia.

Q & A

Who led the first documented European expedition to the Philippine Archipelago?

The first documented European expedition to the Philippine Archipelago was led by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, in the service of King Charles I of Spain.

What significant event occurred on March 16, 1521, during Magellan's expedition?

On March 16, 1521, Magellan's fleet performed the first-ever crossing of the Pacific Ocean and landed on Homonhon Island in Samar.

Why were the islands initially named 'Los Eyas de San Lazaro' by Magellan?

Magellan named the islands 'Los Eyas de San Lazaro' because they reached the islands on the feast day of Saint Lazarus of Bethany.

What was the outcome of the battle on April 27, 1521, in which Magellan was involved?

In the battle on April 27, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan was killed by the natives led by Lapu-Lapu on the island of Mactan.

Which ship and its captain are historically recognized for completing the first circumnavigation of the globe?

The ship Victoria, captained by Juan Sebastian del Cano after Magellan's death, completed the first circumnavigation of the globe.

Why did Garcia Jofre de Loaisa's expedition fail to colonize the Spice Islands?

Garcia Jofre de Loaisa's expedition failed to colonize the Spice Islands due to poor weather, the loss of ships, and the death of key personnel including Loaisa himself from scurvy.

What was the primary goal of Sebastian Cabot's expedition for Spain?

The primary goal of Sebastian Cabot's expedition was to determine the precise demarcation of the Treaty of Tordesillas and to convey settlers to the Moluccas to strengthen Spanish claims in the Spice Islands.

How did Alvaro de Saavedra's expedition contribute to the exploration of the Pacific Ocean?

Alvaro de Saavedra's expedition contributed to the exploration of the Pacific Ocean by being the first to cross it from the Americas, reaching the Philippines and later returning to Mexico.

What was the name given by Ruy López de Villalobos to the Philippine Islands, and why?

Ruy López de Villalobos named the Philippine Islands 'Las Islas Filipinas' in honor of the Prince of Spain, who later became King Philip II.

What was the Manila galleon trade, and how did it start?

The Manila galleon trade was a trade route that lasted for two and a half centuries, starting with the establishment of the first colony in the Philippines by the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565, which also resulted in the discovery of the return route to Mexico across the Pacific.

How long did Spain maintain control over the Philippines as a colony?

Spain maintained control over the Philippines as a colony for 333 years, from 1565 until the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Early European Expeditions to the Philippines

The paragraph discusses the initial European contact with the Philippines, starting with the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan's expedition in 1521 under the Spanish flag. It details subsequent expeditions led by Garcia Jofre de Loaisa, Sebastian Cabot, Álvaro de Saavedra, and Ruy López de Villalobos. Despite these efforts, Spain's colonization attempts were unsuccessful until Philip II sent Miguel López de Legazpi, who successfully colonized the country. The paragraph also covers Magellan's route, his interactions with local chiefs, his death in Mactan, and the eventual return of the Victoria ship, marking the first circumnavigation of the globe.

05:01

🚢 The Challenges and Failures of Subsequent Expeditions

This paragraph delves into the challenges faced by the expeditions following Magellan. It describes the voyages of García Jofre de Loaisa, who faced harsh weather and lost ships, and ultimately died of scurvy. Alonso de Salazar took command after Loaisa's death, only to also die of scurvy. The paragraph continues with the story of Sebastian Cabot, who was tasked with strengthening Spanish claims in the Spice Islands but was distracted by rumors of Incan wealth and exploration of the Río de la Plata. It also covers the expedition of Álvaro de Saavedra, who became the first to cross the Pacific from the Americas to the Philippines but faced numerous setbacks, including the loss of ships and crew, and his eventual death during a return attempt.

10:02

🏰 The Colonization and Legacy of Spanish Explorers

The final paragraph focuses on the later expeditions and the eventual colonization of the Philippines. It tells the story of Ruy López de Villalobos, who named the islands 'Las Islas Filipinas' in honor of Philip II and faced hostility and shipwrecks, leading to his imprisonment and death. The paragraph concludes with the successful expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi, who established the first Spanish colony in the Philippines and initiated the Manila galleon trade. It also notes the long period of Spanish colonization until the Treaty of Paris in 1898, emphasizing the enduring impact of these early explorations and colonization efforts.

Keywords

💡Portuguese

The Portuguese were a seafaring people from Portugal who played a significant role in the Age of Exploration. In the context of the video, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who was in the service of Spain, led the earliest documented European expedition to the Philippine Archipelago in 1521. This highlights the Portuguese involvement in early global navigation and their influence on the discovery and colonization of new territories.

💡Philippine Archipelago

The Philippine Archipelago refers to the group of islands in Southeast Asia that make up the Philippines. The video discusses the early European expeditions to these islands, starting with Magellan's voyage, which marked the beginning of Spanish interest and eventual colonization of the region. The archipelago's mention is central to the video's theme of exploration and colonization.

💡Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who is famous for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, although he did not complete the journey himself. The video highlights his role in reaching the Philippine Archipelago and his efforts to establish relationships with local leaders, which were crucial in the Spanish colonization of the region.

💡Circumnavigation

Circumnavigation refers to the act of traveling around an entire geographic area, in this case, the Earth. The video emphasizes the historic nature of Magellan's expedition, which was the first to achieve a circumnavigation, proving the world was round and opening up new routes for trade and exploration.

💡Spice Islands

The Spice Islands, also known as the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, were highly sought after in the 16th century due to their valuable spices like nutmeg, cloves, and mace. The video mentions that Magellan's goal was to find a western route to these islands to trade for spices, which were a significant driver of exploration and colonization during that era.

💡Luis de Velasco

Luis de Velasco was the Viceroy of Mexico during the time of Philip II. In the video, he is noted for preparing a new expedition to the Philippine Archipelago under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi. This highlights the administrative role in organizing and directing the Spanish efforts to colonize new territories.

💡Miguel López de Legazpi

Miguel López de Legazpi was a Spanish conquistador who successfully colonized the Philippines for Spain. The video describes his expedition as a turning point in the Spanish colonization of the islands, leading to the establishment of the first permanent Spanish settlement and the beginning of Spanish rule in the region.

💡Manila Galleon Trade

The Manila Galleon Trade refers to the maritime trade between the Philippines and Mexico, which was established after Legazpi's successful colonization. The video mentions this trade route, which lasted for over two and a half centuries, as a significant economic and cultural exchange between Asia and the Americas under Spanish control.

💡Strait of Magellan

The Strait of Magellan is a navigable sea passage in southern Chile that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Named after Ferdinand Magellan, who discovered it during his expedition, the strait is mentioned in the video as a crucial part of the route that allowed European explorers to reach the Pacific and the Philippine Archipelago.

💡Treaty of Tordesillas

The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement between Spain and Portugal that aimed to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the two countries. The video refers to this treaty in the context of Sebastian Cabot's expedition, which was tasked with determining the precise demarcation of the treaty to strengthen Spanish claims in the Spice Islands.

Highlights

The Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan led the first documented European expedition to the Philippine archipelago in 1521.

Four more expeditions were made to the islands after Magellan's, but none succeeded in taking over the Philippines.

King Charles I stopped sending colonizers to the islands after the failed expeditions.

Philip II instructed Luis de Velasco to prepare a new expedition, which was successfully led by Miguel López de Legazpi.

Magellan's expedition aimed to find a western route to the Moluccas Spice Islands for trade.

Magellan's fleet performed the first-ever crossing of the Pacific Ocean.

The Philippine archipelago was renamed by various sources, with claims that Magellan or his chroniclers were responsible.

Magellan was the first European to reach the islands and forged a friendship with the chieftain of Limasawa.

Magellan was killed in a battle on Mactan Island, led by native chief Lapu-Lapu.

Only one ship, the Victoria, and 18 men returned to Spain out of the original five ships and over 300 men.

The expedition is historic as it marked the first circumnavigation of the globe, proving the world is round.

Losa's expedition aimed to rescue the missing Trinidad ship and colonize Magellan's Spice Islands.

Sebastian Cabot's expedition sought the northwest passage and to strengthen Spanish claims in the Spice Islands.

Alvaro de Saavedra was the first navigator to cross the Pacific Ocean from the Americas.

Ruy López de Villalobos named the country 'Las Islas Filipinas' in honor of the Prince of Spain, Philip II.

The Philippines was a Spanish colony for 333 years, from 1565 until the Treaty of Paris in 1898.

Lopez de Legazpi's expedition established the first colony in the Philippines and discovered the return route to Mexico.

The Manila Galleon trade lasted for two and a half centuries due to the discovery of the return route across the Pacific.

Transcripts

after the portuguese reached the maluku

islands of indonesia in 1511

the earliest documented european

expedition to the philippine archipelago

was led by the portuguese navigator

ferdinand magellan in the service of

king charles one of spain in 1521.

after magellan's expedition four more

expeditions were made to the islands

they were led by garcia joffrey delosa

in 1525

sebastian cabot in 1526 alvaro de

savedra in 1527

and roy lopez de villalobos in 1542

since none of the expeditions after

magellan from los angeles had succeeded

in taking over the philippines

king charles one stopped sending

colonizers to the islands

however when philip ii succeeded his

father to the throne

he instructed luis de velasco the

viceroy of mexico

to prepare a new expedition to be headed

by miguel lopez de la gazpi

lopez de la gazp succeeded in colonizing

the country

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ferdinand magellan a portuguese in the

service of the spanish crown

left spain on september 20th 1519 with

the goal of finding a western route to

the molokas

spice islands and trade for spices

he sailed across the atlantic and

discovered the strait that now bears his

name

allowing him to pass through the

southern tip of south america into the

pacific ocean

which he named the fleet performed the

first ever crossing of the pacific

on march 16 1521 they landed on

homingham island in samar

magellan named the islands los easles to

san lazaro

saint lazarus islands because they

reached the islands on the feast day of

saint lazarus of bethany

however the archipelago was renamed los

easles de pontiante

islands to the west various sources

claimed that magellan was not the one

who renamed the area

but his chroniclers instead the name

came from the fact that the islands were

reached from spain on route approaching

the left part of the globe

conversely the portuguese called the

archipelago ilhas do orient

islands to the east because they

approached the islands from the east of

portugal in the late 1540s

magellan was the first european to reach

the islands

he forged a close friendship with raha

human the chieftain of li misawa

umaban was a rival of one of the chiefs

on mktan island

dr lapu lapu another chief in mctan

dhatu zula was also wary of la pulatu

magellan promised to eliminate the king

who would not recognize the superiority

of spanish crown

on april 17 1521 magellan sailed to

mctan and ensuing battle killed magellan

by the natives led by lapu-lapu

juan sebastian di el cano the master of

ship concepcion took over the command of

the expedition after the death of

magellan and captained the ship victoria

back to spain

out of the five ships and more than 300

men who left on the magellan expedition

in 1519

only one ship the victoria and 18 men

returned to seville

spain on september 6 15 22.

nevertheless the said expedition was

considered historic because it marked

the first circumnavigation of the globe

and proved that the world was round

losa's expedition was conceived both as

a rescue mission and a voyage of

discovery

the victoria a vessel from magellan's

expedition to the pacific

had returned to spain in 1522 with word

that her sister shipped the trinidad had

last been seen attempting to return home

by sailing east from the spice islands

to south america

losa was ordered to seek trinidad or

news of her fate

by voyaging along her expected return

route to spain

he was also ordered to locate and

colonize magellan's spice islands

for this purpose losa was assigned seven

vessels and a total of 450 men

including tradesmen and administrators

for the spice islands settlement

expedition set sail from corona on july

24

1525. losa was named captain along with

juan sebastian elcano

who had reached the spice islands in

1521 during the magellan expedition

the fleet headed southwest to the canary

islands and then

south along the african coastline in

november 1525

losa moved west across the atlantic to

brazil reaching the patagonian shore in

january 1526.

there was no sign of trinidad and delosa

decided to abandon the search for her

and continue instead to the spice

islands however the weather was poor

and over the next several weeks in high

winds while trying to enter the strait

of magellan

the ships alternately gathered and

dispersed

two ships were wrecked and one tacked

into the atlantic and deserted the

expedition

on may 26 1526

this diminished fleet of four ships

passed through the strait and

entered the pacific the bad weather

which had originally scattered

losses fleet continued in the pacific

the four remaining vessels quickly lost

sight of each other in the heavy rain

and were unable to regroup when the

storm finally passed on june 1st

santa maria de la victoria was the only

ship left

losa himself died of scurvy on july 30th

1526

el cano a few days later alonso de

salazar took command after the deaths of

losa and elcano

after one month of holding the command

he also died of scurvy shortly after

having left guam on september 5th

1526 and was succeeded by martin iniguez

de carquizano

yunitas reached the islands of visah and

mindan now in the philippines and the

molokas

but died of food poisoning only

undressed deodaneta and 24 other men

survived to land in the spice islands

they returned to spain in 1536 in the

portuguese india armada and under

portuguese guard to complete the second

world circumnavigation in history

sebastian cabot was a venetian explorer

he was the son of venetian explorer john

cabot

after his father's death cabot conducted

his own voyages of discovery

seeking the northwest passage through

north america for england

he later sailed for spain

on march 4 1525 cabot was given command

of a spanish fleet that was to determine

from astronomical observation the

precise demarcation of the treaty of

tortosillas

which defined the area of spanish and

portuguese monopolies

he was also to convey settlers to the

molokai islands in the pacific

to strengthen spanish claims in the

spice islands

this expedition consisted of four ships

with 250 men

and set sail from salukar de barramata

on april 3

1526

cabal was directed to cross the pacific

twice and he might have accomplished a

second circumnavigation of the world

however when cabot landed with his

expedition in brazil

he heard of the rumors of the great

wealth of the incan king and the nearly

successful invasion of aleksa garcia

he abandoned his charge and explored the

interior of the rio de la plata along

the northern border of present-day

argentina

in 1527 hernan cortes prepared a new

expedition to search for the missing

fleet of the losa expedition and

commissioned his cousin alvaro de

savedra to command the new expedition

however the true purpose of the

expedition was to find new lands in the

south sea

the pacific ocean and to bring back

spice plants

on october 31 1527 they sailed from

zia to nejo guerrero on december 15th

after having sailed 1170 leagues

the espiritu santo and the santiago

swept on ahead

after a sudden squall never to be heard

of again

on february 2nd 1528 the la florida

cited the philippines and the following

day anchored at a small island off the

north coast of mindanao

after 95 days since its departure and

having

sailed 1923 leagues

this makes saavedra the first navigator

to cross the pacific ocean from the

americas

on march 30th 1528 the la florida

arrived to t del rey

the spanish stronghold in the moloch is

where the men remaining from the losa

expedition were found

and they joined them to fight the

portuguese in the neighboring turnout

tent

to carry out the instructions of the

expedition and bring further

assistance to the spaniards in t del rey

savadra set sail for new spain

mexico on june 14 1528.

however they were diverted by the

northeast trade winds and threw them

back to the molakas

returning to t dou ray on november 19 15

28. on may 3rd 1529

savadra tried again the second time by

navigating back down south

again he toured the western part of new

guinea then heading north

however savadra died thus pedro

also took command they sailed north but

did not found westerly winds

when lasso died they finally decided to

turn around the ship and again return to

the malaccas

arriving to hamahara next to t del rey

on december 8 1529

they were captured there by the

portuguese and held in captivity for

five years

in 1534 the surviving eight members of

his crew made it back to spain

roy lopez de villalubbos was

commissioned in 1541 by the viceroy of

new spain

antonio de mendoza who was the first

colonial administrator in the new world

to send an expedition to the east los

del ponyente

islands of the west his fleet of six

galleon ships left bar rod in avadod

jalisco mexico with 370 to 400 men on

november 1st 1542.

lopez de villalubbos reached mindanao on

february 2nd 1543. he established a

colony in sarangani but could not stay

long because of insufficient food supply

in april 1544 he sailed for island of

amboyna

he and his crew members then made their

way to the islands of samar

and leyte which he named los easles

filipinas

the philippine islands in honor of the

prince of spain

philip ii

driven away by hostile natives hunger

and the shipwreck

lopez de villalobos was forced to

abandon his settlements in the islands

and the expedition he and his crew

members sought refuge in the malaccas

where they quarreled with the portuguese

who imprisoned them

he died on april 4 1544 in his prison

cell on the island of amboyna

lopez davila bose is remembered for

naming the country los eastles filipinas

the philippine islands

philip ii became king of spain on

january 16

1556 when his father charles 1

abdicated both the spanish and holy

roman empire thrones

charles one of spain was also charles

five of the holy roman empire

the throne of the holy roman empire went

to charles brother

ferdinand one in 1559

philip ii ordered an expedition mounted

to the spice islands

stating that its purpose was to discover

the islands of the west

in reality its task was to conquer the

philippine islands for spain

in 1564 lopez de la gazpi was

commissioned by the viceroy

luis de velasco to lead an expedition in

the pacific ocean

to find the spice islands where the

earlier explorers ferdinand magellan and

roy lopez de villalobos had landed in

1521

and 1543 respectively

the viceroy died in july 1564

but the audience and lopez de la gazp

completed the preparations for the

expedition

on november 20th 1564 five

ships carrying 500 soldiers sailed from

the port of bar rod in avadod

new spain other sources give the date as

november 1

1564 and mention four ships and 380 men

lopez de la gazp and his men sailed the

pacific ocean for 93 days

on february 13 1565 legosphere's

expedition landed in cebu island

the lagos p expedition was successful as

it established the first colony in the

philippines

it also resulted in the discovery of the

return route to mexico across the

pacific

this discovery started the manila

galleon trade which lasted for two and a

half centuries

for 333 years from 1565 when spain first

established a colony in the country

until the treaty of paris on december 10

1898

the philippines was a colony of spain

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