Ferdinand Magellan was born in the European country of Portugal in 1480. He came from a wealthy family and as a young boy served as a page to Portugal’s Queen Leonor for two years. He had an adventurous spirit which inspired him to enlist in early journeys to India.

As a young man, he spent 8 years sailing across India and the Spice Islands of Indonesia. These islands got their name from the pepper, nutmeg, and cloves produced there, which were very valuable at the time. He fought in battles and was promoted to the rank of captain. He would later be stationed in Morocco where he was wounded, giving him a permanent limp. He was falsely accused of illegal trade and, even though it was not true, he found it hard to find money for another voyage. He believed that he could find a shortcut to the rich Spice Islands by sailing west and avoiding the dangerous southern coast of Africa.

In 1517, Magellan decided to go to Spain and offer his services to Spain’s King Charles I. Spain had success in the New World, but was looking for a commercial route to Asia. Charles I agreed to finance Magellan’s trip in the hopes of becoming the king of the richest nation in the world.

Magellan and about 270 crew members set sail on five ships from Spain on September 20, 1519. After a short stop in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde near Africa, Magellan set a course for Brazil. After three long months crossing the Atlantic, they arrived near Rio de Janeiro in December.

After trading with local natives, Magellan and his men quickly set sail again, ever worried about the threat of Portuguese ships. The sailed south along South America's east coast, looking for the strait that Magellan believed would lead to the Spice Islands. The weather grew worse and some crew members suffered frostbite and were near starvation. Near the southern tip of South America, one ship smashed into the beach and lost all supplies. Finally, in October of 1520, Magellan and his crew crossed the treacherous straits at the tip of South America, which became known as the Straits of Magellan.

After passing through the straits, the ships entered the Pacific Ocean. Magellan and the crew continued to suffer from a lack of food and supplies. On March 6, the ships finally reached the Pacific island of Guam. The crew was able to collect clean water and food before moving on next to the Philippines. Here, some crew members tried to convert natives to Christianity. Magellan attempted to get Lapu-Lapu, a native chief to convert. When Lapu-Lapu refused, Magellan and his crew decided to attack.

During the attack, Magellan was hit with a bamboo spear on the beach and died on April 27, 1521. Most of his crew escaped and set sail west. They finally reached the Spice Islands in November 1521, however only 115 crew members remained. Later Portuguese forces captured one of the ships, leaving only one ship left – The Victoria. They set sail for home in December and, after crossing the Indian Ocean, reached Africa’s Cape of Good Hope in May, with only rice left for food.

Finally, on September 6, 1522, the remaining crew of Magellan’s voyage arrived in Spain. Magellan had not intended to circumnavigate the world, only to find a Spanish route to the Spice Islands. Only 18 men survived to complete the first circumnavigation of the world.

Victoria, the only ship of Magellan’s fleet to complete the circumnavigation (from a 1590 map by cartographer Abraham Ortelius).

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Directions: Cut out the complete circle below then color and trace Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage to show the route he took. Then fold down the 3 sides of the triangle on the inside and glue the triangle down onto your notebook. Answer each question on the outside of each flap to provide more information about Magellan

What difficulties did Magellan and

his crew face?

Where was Magellan headed to and why?

What words come to mind to describe Magellan and his crew?

Name __________________________________

Directions: After reading about Ferdinand Magellan, answer the questions below.

1. Read the dictionary entry.

page (de·pos·it) n 1. A single sheet of paper for writing. 2 A portion of a document. 3. A boy servant or attendant. 4. v To summon or alert by electronic pager.

Which meaning of page is used in paragraph 1? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

2. Why did Magellan go to the King of Spain to pay for his voyage?A. He was Spanish and could only be financed by a Spanish king. B. His own king would not support him after he was accused of illegal trade. C. Magellan wanted him to become the richest king in the world. D. He was appointed the governor there.

3. What is the main idea of paragraph 5?A. Trading with South American natives. B. How they reached the Spice Islands. C. Fighting with the Portuguese. D. Difficulties faced while sailing along South America

4. About how long did it take Magellan’s ship to circumnavigate (go around) the world?A. 1 year B. 2 years C. 3 years D. 4 years

5. This article would most likely be found in a book titled -A. Great Portuguese Explorers B. The Discovery of America C. Great Spanish Explorers D. How the Spice Islands Got Their Name

6. Which is a true statement about a success of Magellan’s voyage?A. Magellan made it all around the world alive and well. B. They reached the Spice Islands and established a trade route. C. Almost all of the crew members made it home safely. D. They established warm relations with all the natives they met.

Name ____Answer Key _____

Directions: After reading about Ferdinand Magellan, answer the questions below.

1. Read the dictionary entry.

page (de·pos·it) n 1. A single sheet of paper for writing. 2 A portion of a document. 3. A boy servant or attendant. 4. v To summon or alert by electronic pager.

Which meaning of page is used in paragraph 1? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

2. Why did Magellan go to the King of Spain to pay for his voyage?A. He was Spanish and could only be financed by a Spanish king. B. His own king would not support him after he was accused of illegal trade. C. Magellan wanted him to become the richest king in the world. D. He was appointed the governor there.

3. What is the main idea of paragraph 5?A. Trading with South American natives. B. How they reached the Spice Islands. C. Fighting with the Portuguese. D. Difficulties faced while sailing along South America

4. About how long did it take Magellan’s ship to circumnavigate (go around) the world?A. 1 year B. 2 years C. 3 years D. 4 years

5. This article would most likely be found in a book titled -A. Great Portuguese Explorers B. The Discovery of America C. Great Spanish Explorers D. How the Spice Islands Got Their Name

6. Which is a true statement about a success of Magellan’s voyage?A. Magellan made it all around the world alive and well. B. They reached the Spice Islands and established a trade route. C. Almost all of the crew members made it home safely. D. They established warm relations with all the natives they met.

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Clip art courtesy of Apples ‘n’ Acorns. Image of the Victoria courtesy of Wikimedia.