JH CERILLES STATE COLLEGE
GEC 102
Q2- MODULE 1
Unit 3
Content and Contextual Analysis of Selected Primary Sources
Who is Ferdinand Magellan?
⮚ Ferdinand Magellan was born in
Portugal, circa 1480. He studied mapmaking
and navigation.
⮚ He organized the Spanish expedition to
the East Indies from 1519-1522, resulting in the
first circumnavigation of the Earth, which was
completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano.
⮚ He never planned to sail around the
globe. His assignment - to reach the Spice
Islands, also known as the Moluccas (or Maluku
Figure 1 Fernando Magallanes Photo credit: History.com Islands), thereby proving they belonged to
Spain - already had more-than-enough
challenges.
⮚ His expedition originally started with
five ships -
Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepción,
Victoria and Santiago -
but only Victoria made it back to the starting point.
⮚ He was one of the casualties during the fight with Lapu-lapu and his
men Why Magellan and his group circumnavigate around the World?
One of the reasons why Europeans traveled around the world was to discover
some products that were not available in their home country. These included porcelain,
silk, incense, herbs, perfumes, fabrics, carpets, spices, and other oriental products.
What are the important happenings of Magellan-Elcano
circumnavigation? Historical Context
Of all Asian products they discovered, spices became the most expensive and in-
demand commodity among Europeans because of their numerous uses such as food
preservation, flavor enhancement, and even medicine. Since spices were a very
lucrative commodity, many merchants aspired to monopolize their supply and
distribution in the European markets.
Asian goods reached Europe either via the Silk Road or the Arabian-Italian trade route.
Both routes were expensive and oftentimes disrupted by wars, natural calamities, and
bandits. The closing of the land route of the Spice Trade with the conquest by the
Ottoman Empire of Constantinopole (present-day Turkey and the “gateway to the
West”) then in 1453 forced European kingdoms to look ways to purchase spices directly
from the source. They decided to explore the oceans to look for a way to the famed
Spice Island.
Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal put up a maritime school that trained
sailors who would later discover an eastern sea route going to the Spice Islands (the
modern-day Moluccas Islands) and other islands in Southeast Asia via the Atlantic
Ocean and Indian Ocean. This route enabled them to trade directly with the producers
of spices and other Oriental goods. The numerous economic benefits it gave the
Portugal made other monarchs envious and prompted them to search for a new trade
route to Asia. This led to the discovery of many territories previously unknown to the
Europeans, though inhabited already and known to other races.
The marriage of Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1469)
coupled with the victory of the Catholic monarchs over the Moors in the Battle of
Granada (1492) resulted in the rise of Spain as a world power. With the domestic
problems already under control, Spain started to explore their economic options
outside the Iberian Peninsula. Inspired by the success of Portugal, they aspired to have a
fair share in the spice trade. They financed the trans-Atlantic voyages of Christopher
Columbus (1492 to 1502) which resulted in the discovery of territories on the other side
of Atlantic Ocean. Decades later, the Spanish monarch also supported the plan of
Ferdinand Magellan to go to the East by sailing westward, a proposal that Portugal
refused to finance.
The Magellan-Elcano expedition left the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda in Seville
on August 20, 1521 with around 270 men of different nationalities. One of its main
objectives was to search for a new maritime path to the Spice Islands that would not
violate Spain’s treaty with Portugal. Along the way the expedition suffered natural and
man-made challenges and out of the five ships that left Spain only three reached the
Philippines. The first couple of weeks of their stay in the Philippines were marked with
hospitality and cordial exchanges of goods. The local inhabitants traded with them and
some were even converted to Christianity. Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, refuse to
trade with the Spaniards and when Magellan learned this, he waged war with them.
Despite their superiority in terms of arms and training, the Spaniards lost the battle and
one of the casualties was Magellan himself. When the survivors returned to Cebu, they
were also treacherously attacked by their former allies. This prompted them to leave the
island. By that time, their number was just enough to man two ships, the Victoria (now
under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano) and the Trinidad. The expedition finally
reached the Spice Islands and managed to purchase a large amount of spices before
leaving. Unfortunately, the Trinidad and her crew captured by the Portuguese on their
journey back.
On September 7, 1522, Elcano and 17 survivors arrived in Spain aboard the ship
Victoria. One of them was Antonio Pigafetta, the assistant of Magellan who kept a journal
that became the main source of what we know about the first encounter of the Spaniards
and the Filipinos.
Who is Antonio Pigafetta?
✔ Antonio Pigafetta (1491-c.1534), born around 1490 in the
town of Vicenza, Vinice, Italy, was the eldest son of
Giovanni Pigafetta to second wife Angela Zoga. He studied
astronomy, geography and cartography
✔ His biographers describe him as a weel-educated
young man possessing an avid curiosity of the world
around him.
✔ He presented his credentials to Magellan and to the
Casa de la Contratacion, the office in charge of voyages to
the New World. He was admitted as one of the
sobresalientes (supernumeraries), or men coming from
prominent families who will join the trip for the love of
adventure and for the advancement of military service.
✔ He was among the 18 survivors who returned to
Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard the Victoria with Juan
Sebastian Elcano.
✔ He died sometime in 1534.
About his Book
✔ A detailed journal of what happened to them from
the time they left Seville in 1519 until they returned to Spain
three years after.
✔ Of other known primary sources that dealt with the
Magellan expedition, Pigafetta’s account is the longest and
most comprehensive. It narrated lucidly how they gallantly
survived the unforeseen problems and challenges.
✔ The travelogue contributed immensely to the enrichment of Philippine
historiography. It provided us a glimpse of the political, economic, and social
conditions of the Islands in the Visayan region during 16th century.
Figure 3 A Primary source which contains chronicles of ✔ The account also contains data about
contemporary voyagers and navigators of the 16th
century the economic activities of the local folks and the
goods they offered for trade.
Photo credit: Kobo.com
✔ He got all this information through the help of
Magellan’s slave/interpreter, Enrique de Malacca. It also gave us an eye witness
account of the death of Magellan in the Battle of Mactan.
(Excerpts from Magellan’s Voyage around the World can be found in the book of Jose
Victor Torres, Batis, Sources in Philippine History, pp. 20-40
Relevance
✔ Pigafetta’s account contributed immensely to European historiography as
it preserved and popularized the achievements of the Magellan-Elcano
expedition.
✔ If Pigafettas’s did not survive the journey, we would have very little
knowledge of Magellan’s numerous contributions in the fields of
geography, navigation, history, and other related areas. Such as follows:
▪ Credit must be given to Magellan expedition for proving
that the earth is not flat but an oblate sphere.
▪ Magellan and his men completed the first
circumnavigation of the world.
▪ They confirmed that the Portuguese route is not the only
way to the Spice Islands and they proved the theory that
one can go to the east by sailing west.
▪ They brought to the attention of the Europeans that on
the other side of the American continent exists a large
body of water which they named Pacific Ocean (Mar
Pacifico).
✔ Pigafetta’s account also enriched Philippine historiography because it
contains important details about the conditions of the Visayan Islands in
the 16th century.
✔ Pigafetta’s account also used as sources of local textbook writers on
historical information about the beginning of Christianity in the
Philippines.
✔ The accounts about the First Mass in the Philippines, the conversion of
Rajah Humabon and his wife, and the story of the image of Sto. Nino
were mostly taken from Pigafetta’s book.
JH CERILLES STATE COLLEGE
GEC 102
Q2- MODULE 1
QUIZ
Direction: Write your answer before the number
1. The sixteenth century was an age of great exploration.
A. cosmic B. land C. mental D. common man E. none of the above
2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a political .
A. entanglement B. discussion C. negotiation D. problems E. none of the above
3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their location
on one side or the other of an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of Greenwich that
extends in a direction.
A. north and south B. crosswise C. easterly D. south east E. north and west
4. One of Magellan's ships explored the of South America for a passage across the
continent.
A. coastline B. mountain range C. physical features D. islands E. none of the above
5. The ship commanded by Magellan.
A. Conception B. Santiago C. Trinidad D. Victoria
____ 6. Four of the ships sought a passage along a southern .
A. coast B. inland C. body of land with water on three sides D. border E. answer not available
____ 7. The passage was found near 50 degrees S of .
A. Greenwich B. The equator C. Spain D. Portugal E. Madrid
_____ 8. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the now called the
International Date Line.
A. imaginary circle passing through the poles
B. Imaginary line parallel to the equator
C. area
D. land mass E. answer not found in article
_____ 9. Magellan’s arrival to Philippines.
A.16 March 1521 B. 7 April 1522 C. 29 June 1526 D. 30 November 1528
_____ 10. Documents or works made by individuals who are not directly involved to the event.
A. Primary Source B. Evidence C. Secondary Source D. Historian
Test Fill in the Box.
Directions: Read the statements carefully, write your answers in the boxes provided.
1. Smallest ship and the first ship to circumnavigate the Earth.
2. The explorer who manned the Victoria and eventually completed the
circumnavigation of the Earth.
3. Ruler of Mactan
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4. Portuguese monarch who established a maritime school.
5. Number of survivors onboard Victoria who arrived in Spain.
6. Chronicler of Magellan
7. Name of boy of water on the other side of the continent of Americas
8. Greatest contribution of the Spanish colonization in the Philippines.
9. Island in South East Asia where they want to get spices.
10. Portuguese explorer who worked under the flagship of Spain to
circumnavigate the world.
Learning Activities
Activity 1 Be Involved!
Directions: Answer the guide questions based on Pigafetta’s journal.
1. Who is Antonio Pigafetta? What is his role in the Magellan-Elcano expedition?
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