In , Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set sail in search of a westward route to the Maluku Islands of modern Indonesia, which brimmed with nutmeg, cloves, and mace. Magellan got his first taste of sea life when he joined a Portuguese military fleet headed for India at the age of At the time, Portugal was hungry to control global trade, and that meant taking strategic points along the Indian Ocean.
Magellan fought in a number of pivotal naval conflicts and learned the ropes of navigation. He also fought in Morocco, where he suffered a leg injury that caused a permanent limp. Afterwards, he had trouble landing a job. He bickered with the king. Portugal considered it an act of treason.
This was a big deal: Spices at the time were worth their weight in gold. Charles approved, and Portuguese officials were livid. When Magellan left Spain in with a fleet of five ships, destined for the Spice Islands via the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Portuguese tried—and failed—to chase him down.
They would gain the right to levy fees for any upcoming trips. And, most interestingly, they would get their very own islands. Years earlier, in , Magellan helped invade the port city of Malacca and came home with a Malay-speaking man known now as Enrique de Malacca.
Magellan was Portuguese, but sailed on behalf of Spain. He was a formidable captain, but his crew hated him. Brutal, bellicose, and brave, Magellan turned a commercial voyage into a hair-raising showdown with a wide world few Europeans could imagine. At the beginning of his journey, his contemporaries suspected it was impossible to sail around the entire globe—and feared that everything from sea monsters to killer fogs awaited anyone foolhardy enough to try.
As a page to queen consort Eleanor and Manuel I, he experienced court life in Lisbon. But the young man had a sense of adventure, and took part in a string of Portuguese voyages designed to discover and seize lucrative spice routes in Africa and India. At the time, Portugal and Spain were involved in an intense rivalry to see who could find and claim new territory where they could source the spices coveted by European aristocrats.
In , Magellan joined the fight, traveling to India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. But his days in service to Portugal were numbered: He was accused of illegal trading and fell out with Manuel I, who turned down his proposal to locate a new spice route.
Magellan was convinced that by sailing west instead of east and going through a rumored strait through South America, he could map a new route to Indonesia and India. The captain stood to gain great wealth and status from the trip: Charles gave him a decade-long monopoly on any route he might discover, a cut of the profits, and a noble title to boot.
But he was in an awkward position when it came to his majority-Spanish crew and his royal mission. One ship wrecked; another ditched the expedition altogether and headed back to Spain. The captain struggled to regain control of his men, but once he did, the repercussions were swift and harsh. He ordered some of the mutineers beheaded and quartered; others were marooned or forced into hard labor.
As the crew forged across the Pacific Ocean, food spoiled and scurvy and starvation struck. Magellan and his men briefly made landfall in what was likely Guam , where they killed indigenous people and burned their homes in response to the theft of a small boat. A month later, the expedition reached the Philippines. It turned out he was likely raised there before his enslavement—making him, not Magellan, the first person to circumnavigate the globe.
Instead, he demanded that local Mactan people convert to Christianity and became embroiled in a rivalry between Humabon and Lapu-Lapu, two local chieftains.
They returned to Spain in September Along the way, they had encountered a new ocean, mapped new routes for European trade, and set the stage for modern globalism. Sixty thousand miles later, and after the death of 80 percent of those involved, the expedition had proven that the globe could be circumnavigated and opened the door to European colonization of the New World in the name of commerce.
Magellan's fleet crossed the Pacific Ocean before anyone. Consequently, they suffered from lack of preparation; no one knew the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Magellan and his crew had to endure over three months of anguish. Nevertheless, Magellan's perseverance pushed everyone each day of the voyage.
He inspired his crew like a hero, drove them forwards, and plunged boldly through the daunting obstacles. Without Magellan's persistence, the fleet never would have finished the journey.
This directly proves how Magellan's tenacious character led himself and others to glorious accomplishment. Throughout his voyage, Magellan faced consecutive disheartening difficulties, but his perseverance pulled him and his crew through these struggles. The colossal route of Magellan's journey. Magellan established a strong imprint in history as "a man short in stature but impressive, gallant and resourceful in action, at once realistically calculating and daring, capable both of generosity and violence, independent in temper, secretive and over-taciturn, and very dogged as to his rights.
His whole life shows him as a tough leader, driving men hard because driven by his own daemon. Even as a junior officer, he was capable of dissenting in open council" Spate. Magellan possessed control over his actions. He made selfless decisions based on his beliefs, and, lawful or chaotic, had the grit to excel in his choices. Magellan mastered self-control, judgment, and determination to flourish through obstacles.
A hero needs these traits to succeed, and Magellan's life and journey prove this. His voyage, for example, "was an expedition of many 'firsts. Magellan braved a journey with no precedent; he took daring steps, and in turn, uncovered much information for Europe. From him, one can learn to innovate and try new things. Taking risks will benefit society as a whole.
And, with strong will and perseverance, one can fully explore fresh ideas that would enhance our technology, science, and exploration. Society has thrived because of men like Magellan with no mental limits. They leave an undying significance to the world that influences lives forever. In fact, Magellan has inspired me to think innovatively in my everyday tasks to overcome obstacles of life. His character undoubtedly embodies that of a hero.
As he and his crew suffered in the Pacific Ocean, Magellan had the courage to persevere and change the world; he tied a sailor's knot, and hung on. Works Cited Benjamin, Thomas.
Thomas Benjamin. Gale Virtual Reference Library. History Reference Center. Spate, Oskar Hermann Khristian. Essays on Heroism. Watch our short introduction video for more information.
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