Our Amazing Explorers

All explorers are important parts of history. Our explorers have conquered, built, destroyed, and more. All explorers do this for various reasons. They might want to acquire wealth and live a posh life, or desire fame and glory to go down in history.

Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1482 in Portugal. When Ferdinand was 8, he became a page for Portugal’s queen. He then worked in their armada for 8 years to gain control over the Malocas. Upon retirement, he suggested to the king his idea to find a westward route to the Malocas.

However, the king rejected his proposal, resulting in Ferdinand Magellan resigning his citizenship and relocating to Spain. Once there, he received a warm welcome from the king and queen, who expressed their interest in funding his quest.

The Strait of Magellan

Magellan left Spain in 1518. He had 5 ships and 220 men. Ferdinand and his crew sailed in disastrous stormy weather; he lost two of his ships. One was lost to the sea due to the stormy weather, and one because of the fearful men who turned around instead of going on. Nevertheless, the brave Magellan persevered, as he had fought hard to earn a journey of his own. Soon the stormy weather subsided and the strait ended. Magellan named the calm sea ahead "Mar Pacifico" and the strait he had traversed, "The Strait of Magellan".

Cebu and Cuba

Magellan soon found an island named Cuba to replenish and restock. After a while, he left to sail on and was getting close to the Malaccas. However, he stopped at a Philippine island where he befriended the chief. Upon learning that the chief was having problems with a neighboring tribe, Magellan agreed to help. He, along with his now small crew and the tribe, engaged in battle with the neighboring tribe. Tragically, Magellan was struck down in that battle on April 27, 1521. Fortunately, a crew member named Juan Sebastián Elcano, a "backup navigator", guided them to the Malaccas, loaded up the ship with spices, and sailed them to Spain on a well-established route. That is the story of Ferdinand Magellan, an explorer who unintentionally became one of the first people to circumnavigate the globe.

Cristopher Columbus

In the 1400s, European explorers wanted to find an eastward route to the Indies. The Indies were very important traders; they had silk, spices, and more. They traveled to the Indies because they couldn't grow these goods in Europe. A sea captain from Italy named Christopher Columbus stepped up and said he would embark on the journey, but he planned to go westward. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella decided to finance the voyage. They did this because they yearned to spread Christianity and to procure silk and spices.

The journey

It was late spring, 1492, when he left with a crew of 89 men and 3 ships. The Santa Maria was a caravel; the Pinta and the Nina were carracks. Later, after sailing for a while, they stopped for some repairs at what is now the Canary Islands. This was one of their only stops. They set sail again on September 6, heading for the Atlantic Ocean. For many days they did not see land, but on October 11th, 1492, they finally reached land. They first saw the "Indians," but the natives called their island Guanahani. He claimed the island in the name of Spain and renamed it San Salvador.

Cuba and Hispaniola

When Columbus left, he took six "Indians" with him. He still believed he had reached the Indies and decided to journey on to Japan. So, he continued sailing and soon landed on an island the locals called Cuba. Columbus assumed this name was a Japanese nickname for the island. In time, he discovered another island, which he named Hispaniola. Before departing for Spain, he left 39 men to establish a settlement on Hispaniola. Upon his return, the people cheered him on. Columbus would go on many other expeditions, but he never actually found the Indies.

What if

Have you ever thought, "What if we never got to America?" What if we never explored? Where would we be now? All we know is that things would be different. So, we should recognize those who explored. Who dared to travel the world, even if it was for greed or fame? Sometimes you will never know someone's aspirations, but you can study to try to know and get close.

Did you like this example?

428

23