MAGELLAN – ELCANO, 1st VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD
Summary
TLDRThe transcript details the historic first circumnavigation of the globe, known as the Magellan Expedition, initiated by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan and completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano aboard the ship Victoria. Set against the backdrop of the Ottoman Empire closing traditional trade routes, the voyage aimed to find new passages to the Spice Islands. The expedition faced numerous hardships, including storms, mutiny, starvation, and Magellan's death in the Philippines. Ultimately, Elcano led the surviving crew back to Spain, completing the first voyage around the world, proving the Earth’s roundness.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The first circumnavigation of the globe was undertaken by Ferdinand Magellan, with the expedition completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano aboard the Victoria.
- 🛑 The historical context of the voyage was the closure of trade routes between the Western world and the Orient following the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
- 🚢 Magellan's expedition was aimed at finding a westward route to the Spice Islands to expand Spain's influence and trade.
- 🌊 The fleet of five ships set sail on August 10, 1519, from Seville, Spain, encountering harsh weather and long periods of stagnation at sea.
- ⚡ The crew witnessed St. Elmo's Fire during a storm, which they interpreted as a divine intervention.
- 🗺️ After months at sea, the expedition reached South America and spent a harsh winter in San Julián Bay, where a mutiny occurred, but Magellan suppressed it.
- ⛵ The fleet lost two ships due to desertion and shipwreck but managed to find the passage to the Pacific Ocean, now called the Strait of Magellan.
- 🦠 The journey across the Pacific led to severe starvation and scurvy, with the crew resorting to eating rats and leather.
- ⚔️ Magellan was killed in the Philippines during a battle with local inhabitants on April 27, 1521.
- 🏴 Juan Sebastian Elcano led the remaining crew back to Spain, completing the first circumnavigation of the Earth, proving it was round.
Q & A
Who were the main figures involved in the first circumnavigation of the world?
-The main figures were Ferdinand Magellan, who initiated the voyage, and Juan Sebastian Elcano, who completed it after Magellan's death.
What historical event influenced the search for new trade routes, and how did it affect European exploration?
-The fall of Constantinople in 1453 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire closed important trade routes between Europe and the Orient, pushing Spain and Portugal to search for alternative maritime routes.
What was the initial goal of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition?
-The initial goal was to find a new maritime route to the Spice Islands (Maluku Islands) by sailing west, not to circumnavigate the globe.
What were the provisions and diet of the crew during the voyage?
-The crew's diet included biscuits, cake, wine, and live animals like cows and pigs. However, as food supplies ran short, they faced starvation.
What challenges did Magellan's fleet encounter during the voyage?
-The fleet faced many challenges, including dead calms, harsh weather, potential shipwrecks, starvation, scurvy, and a mutiny.
What was the significance of the phenomenon known as 'St. Elmo’s Fire' during the voyage?
-St. Elmo’s Fire, a weather phenomenon where intense light appeared on the ship's mast, was interpreted by the crew as a divine intervention, filling them with both terror and awe.
What caused the mutiny during the winter at San Julian, and how did Magellan handle it?
-Desperation due to harsh conditions and food shortages during the winter led to a mutiny. Magellan quashed the rebellion with force, executing the leaders and abandoning some mutineers.
What was the outcome of the voyage for Magellan and the crew after crossing the Pacific Ocean?
-After crossing the Pacific Ocean, the crew was decimated by starvation and scurvy. Magellan was killed in the Philippines, but the remaining crew, led by Elcano, continued the journey.
Why is Juan Sebastian Elcano credited with completing the first circumnavigation of the globe?
-Elcano took command after Magellan’s death and made the crucial decision to return to Spain via the Indian Ocean, successfully completing the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
How many crew members survived the entire voyage, and what did they bring back to Spain?
-Of the 239 men who set sail, only 18 returned aboard the Victoria. They brought back a valuable cargo of spices, which more than covered the cost of the expedition.
Outlines
🧭 Magellan’s Ambitious Expedition to the Spice Islands
The first successful circumnavigation of the globe, known as the Magellan expedition, was initiated by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan and completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano. The voyage was motivated by the fall of Constantinople in 1453, which disrupted key trade routes to the Orient. Spain and Portugal sought new maritime routes, and King Charles I of Spain funded Magellan's expedition to find a westward route to the Spice Islands. Magellan's fleet departed on August 10, 1519, aiming not to circumnavigate the globe but to reach the Spice Islands by defending Spanish interests. The crew faced many challenges, including food shortages and severe weather, yet pushed on toward their goal.
⚡ The Perils and Successes of the Pacific Crossing
During their arduous journey, Magellan's fleet encountered countless challenges, including severe weather and near mutiny. After months at sea, they finally sighted the coast of Rio de Janeiro and later found passage through what is now called the Strait of Magellan. The Pacific Ocean, calm and vast, offered another set of hardships as the crew suffered from starvation and scurvy. After arriving in the Philippines, Magellan was killed in a clash with local inhabitants on April 27, 1521. Despite this loss, the remaining crew, now led by Juan Sebastian Elcano, pressed on toward their original destination—the Spice Islands—where they loaded their ship with valuable cloves and spices.
🌍 The Completion of the First Circumnavigation
Elcano, now captain, made the critical decision to return to Spain by circumnavigating the globe, traveling westward via the Indian Ocean rather than retracing their path across the Pacific. The crew faced further struggles, including storms and the threat of capture by the Portuguese, but ultimately reached Spain on September 6, 1522. The spices they brought back more than covered the costs of the expedition. Elcano and his men had sailed over 70,000 kilometers and were hailed as pioneers, having proven the world’s roundness and completed the first voyage around the globe. Only 18 of the original 239 crew members survived the journey, making it a legendary maritime accomplishment.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ferdinand Magellan
💡Juan Sebastian Elcano
💡Spice Islands
💡Circumnavigation
💡Treaty of Tordesillas
💡St. Elmo’s Fire
💡Scurvy
💡Rio de Janeiro
💡Victoria
💡Mutiny
Highlights
The first circumnavigation of the globe was undertaken by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano.
The historical context of the voyage is linked to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, which closed important trade routes between the Western world and the Orient.
Spain and Portugal set out to find alternative maritime trade routes due to the loss of access to the Silk Road and Mediterranean trade.
Ferdinand Magellan proposed an expedition to reach the Spice Islands by sailing west, with financial backing from King Charles I of Spain.
The expedition was not originally intended to circumnavigate the globe but to find a new route to the Spice Islands.
On August 10, 1519, five ships carrying 239 men set sail from Spain, making their first stop at Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
The fleet encountered various hardships, including bad weather, dead calm seas, and a phenomenon known as St. Elmo's Fire, which terrified the crew.
They reached the coast of South America after nearly four months at sea, stopping in present-day Rio de Janeiro and wintering in the Bay of San Julián.
During the harsh winter, food shortages led to a mutiny, which Magellan suppressed, executing two leaders and abandoning others as punishment.
Two ships were lost—San Antonio returned to Spain, and Santiago was shipwrecked—while the remaining three continued through what is now called the Strait of Magellan.
The fleet crossed the Pacific Ocean, enduring starvation and scurvy, with the crew resorting to eating rats and leather.
Magellan was killed in the Philippines in a battle on April 27, 1521, leaving Elcano to command the expedition.
Juan Sebastian Elcano decided to return to Spain via the Indian Ocean, becoming the first to circumnavigate the globe.
Only 18 of the original 239 men returned to Spain aboard the Victoria on September 6, 1522, completing the first circumnavigation.
The Victoria's cargo of spices more than covered the cost of the expedition, making the journey a financial success despite the heavy losses.
Transcripts
melan elano first voyage around the
world the first circumnavigation of the
globe in history otherwise known as the
melan expedition was undertaken by the
Portuguese Navigator Ferdinand mcgillan
and completed by Juan Sebastian elano
aboard the
Victoria the historical context of the
voyage is linked to the fall of
Constantinople at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire in 4
53 an event that closed off important
trade routes between the Western world
and the Orient including the Silk Road
and the
Mediterranean Spain and Portugal
subsequently set out in search of
alternative Maritime trade routes the
Portuguese sought The Spice Islands
otherwise known as the maluku islands
scouring the coast of the African
continent as a result of these efforts
the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama
arrived in India in
1498 while the Portuguese were already
trading in spices the kingdom of Castile
continued to advance in America seeking
passage between the Atlantic and the new
SE the Pacific Ocean discovered by nun
de
bboa Navigator Ferdinand mcgillan
proposed an expedition to reach the
Spice Islands by setting sail to the
West to King Charles I of Spain who
would agree to finance The Voyage with
the aim of expanding his Dominion it was
not the expedition's aim to sail around
the world melan intended to find a new
route to The Spice Islands while
defending Spanish interests there
reinforced by the Treaty of Tores
[Music]
on the 10th of August 1519 five ships
carrying 239 men aboard cast off from CA
making their first stop in San Luca de
bareda and another in tenar to stalk up
on Provisions from where they would set
sail for their Adventure on the high
seas the Staples of their diet at Sea
were biscuits cake and wine they also
brought with them live animals such as
cows and
pigs the voyage in search of a passage
to the Pacific involved many dangers
given that the territory was previously
uncharted on setting sail the fleet
suffered various days of dead car the
crew began to despair as it was
impossible to make progress soon
afterwards a sudden spell of bad weather
incurred the resulting fear of shipwreck
the Voyages chronicler piga feta
documented how they bore witness to the
weather phenomenon St Elmo's Fire
an intense light glowing like a torch
from the ship's mast struck by Terror
They begged for mercy interpreting the
phenomenon as a divine
intervention nearly 4 months after their
departure they finally caught sight of
land on the American continent arriving
on the coasts of present day Rio de
Janeiro the fleet reached the river Rio
de La Plata traveling the length of the
coastline to the South they then decided
to spend the winter in the Bay of San
julan during which food supplies ran
short and they were forced to weather a
harsh 5mon
winter desperation led to a mutiny that
melan quashed with Force melan ordered
the arrest and execution of Gaspar de
casara and Luis De Mena taking the
decision to leave Juan dearta Hena and
the cleric Pedro Sanchez Deena behind as
punishment after the Rebellion the San
Antonio abandoned the Expedition and
returned to Spain the Santiago was
Shipwrecked after springing a leak in
the hull but the remaining ships the
concepion the Trinidad and the Victoria
managed to find passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific now the straight
of McAllan on the 28th of November
1520 the risk of running a ground made
the voyage increasingly perilous yet the
remaining ships were saved and finally
reached what they would go on to call
the Pacific as by chance on that day the
waters were perfectly
[Music]
calm during the 3-month voyage across
the Pacific the remaining crew was
decimated by starvation and scurvy
resorting even to eating rats and
leather from the
rigging the fleet proceeded to reach
what is now the Philippines and in mtan
on the 27th of April 1521
mcelin would meet his end during a clash
with the Island's
inhabitants after many a setback as the
sole survivor of the Expedition the
Victoria would sail onwards to the
maluku islands the original aim of the
voyage there they loaded the ship's hold
with the much coveted spices primarily
clothes to be sold for a high price on
their return to
Spain the remaining crew elected Juan
Sebastian elano as captain for the
return for
it was at this crucial moment that elano
decided to return to Spain not via the
Pacific but via the Indian Ocean thus
conceiving the first circumnavigation of
the globe and proving once and for all
that the Earth was round fearing being
taken prisoner by the Portuguese they
maintained a significant distance from
the African Coast enduring starvation
and tempestuous
storms after a final untimely incident
with with the Portuguese in Cape verie
the Victoria dropped anchor in San Luca
de Bara Kad on the 6th of September
1522 from there she would be towed up
River to ca complete with her precious
cargo of spices amounting to more than
enough to cover the cost of the
Expedition and becoming the first vessel
in history to sail around the
world ju Sebastian elano and his men had
crossed the world's three major oceans
sailing some 70,000 km of the 239 men
who set sail from ceva only 18 returned
aboard the Victoria following this Grand
Adventure elano provided the emperor
with an eloquent summary of His
exploits and I pray that your majesty
also holds in the highest esteem all
that we have discovered on our Voyage
around the entire world setting sail to
the west and returning from the East
[Music]
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