In this report I'll be describing the lives of one famous Portuguese and two famous Spanish explorers. They are are Christopher Columbus, Hernan Cortes, and Ferdinand Magellan. These three explorers may have had the biggest impact on exploration during that time period of any three explorers. As you read you will learn the motives of the trips, the risks involved, and the signifigant gains of the trips.
Columbus was an Italian-born sailor who discovered the Americas for Spain. It took him six years to get funding from Spain's Queen Isabella, and King Ferdinand.
His adventure life began during his mid-twenties, when he first sailed from Genoa, Italy to an island named Khios, in the Aegean Sea. In 1467, soon after, a convoy he was in was attacked by pirates. Columbus's ship sank but Columbus made it to shore and took refuge in Lisbon. He thought of many things there. Some thoughts were: the Earth is round, it is 25% smaller than previously thought, and is composed mainly of landmass. On these beliefs he asked John II of Portugal to fund a trip to go westward to the Indies. He was rejected. He then asked the same of Spain's rulers, Isabella and Ferdinand, who didn't have trade wih the East like Portugal did. After six years he got his wish. On August 3, 1492 he put out of Palos, Spain, with 90 men and 3 ships: The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. After 3 days the Pinta's mast broke, and they had to stop at the Canary Islands. After a month and six days at sea, the ships landed at San Salvador (Holy Savior). They also landed at Cuba and Hispaniola, (the Dominican Republic and Haiti). All the time they thougt they were in Asian waters. In December the Santa Maria wrecked, and forced 39 men to stay on Hispaniola.
When Columbus returned to Spain in March 1493, he was hailed and greeted enthusiastically. He was given fame, wealth, and a noble title. He made three more trips to America before he died.
The risks of this trip were: sailing into the unknown, and risking his life's work on maybe being funded. By discovering America he had found a new a source of gold for Spain. His discovery also allows me to be here typing this paper.
Magellan was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who was the firstEuropean to cross the Pacific and the first human to ever circumnavigate the globe. One of his motives was to find a westward route to the Spice Islands from Europe. In 1518 Magellan secured the approval of Spain's Charles I to make the expedition. On September 20, 1519, Magellan departed from Sanlucar de Barrameda with five ships. By November he had reached South America. In Februrary 1520 he explored the Rio de Plata estuary, and on March 31st he put into Port San Julian, where he remained for six months due to a storm. During that time one ship was wrecked and a mutiny occured. After winter Magellan sailed into the now famous Strait of Magellan. After 38 days, 330 miles, and one less ship, they sailed into the Pacific Ocean. Magellan named it "Pacific" because it was so calm. After four months and six days at sea he reached the Mariana Islands. Ten days later, on March 6, 1521, he landed on the Philippine island of Cebu. There he became allied with the ruler of the local tribe and agreed to help him attack the neighboring Mactan Tribe. Magellan was killed in the ensuing battle on April 27th, 1521. A vessel was burned, but the other two escaped and reached the Spice Islands on November 6, 1521. The Victoria, commanded by Spaniard Juan Sebastian del Cano, completed the journey and put in at Seville, Spain on September 6, 1522. Magellan didn't complete the circumnavigation in one voyage, but he did sail past his easternmost point from an earlier voyage.
This voyage had many risks like sailing into the unknown, attacking strange people you didn't even know about a month ago, and had many chances to starve, be killed in a mutiny, or die of starvation.
The voyage was sucessful in that it proved that there is a western route to the Spice Islands, and it circumnavigated the Earth, proving that it is round.
Hernan Cortes was the Spanish conquistador who first explored Mexico, and conquered the Aztecs. He first sailed to Santo Domingo from Spain in the spring of 1504 to try his luck in the New World. In 1511 he became mayor of Santiago de Cuba. In 1518 he persuaded his friend, the governor of Cuba, to allow himto command an expedition to Mexico. This was a risk because Mexico had only been discovered a year earlier by Francisco Fernandez de Cordoba. It was also a risk because he only got to take 600 men, less then 20 horses, and only 10 field pieces. In 1519 he landed in Mexico, and subjugated the town of Tabasco. There he learned of the Aztec Empire and its ruler, Montezuma II. One of the captives he took from the natives was a woman named Malinche. She became his interpretor, counselor, guide, and mistress. When Cortes began acknowledging only the throne's power and not the governor's, Cortes destroyed his fleet so no one could escape to tell of this. He began making alliances with local tribes. On November 8, 1519, his small force and about 600 of the natives entered the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs, believing him to be the god Quetzalcoatl, allowed Cortes and his soldiers to roam freely through the capital. Despite the hospitality provided by Montezuma II, Cortes still thought he would be driven out so he took Montezuma hostage. Meanwhile, the governor had sent out an expedition to find Cortes. Cortes quickly defeated the expedition without bloodshed and persuaded most of them to join him. When he returned to Tenochtitlan he found the Aztecs in revolt. He was allowed to enter but was immediately surrounded and attacked. In an attempt to stop the revolt, Montezuma II was stoned to death and the Spaniards were driven from the city. During the summer of 1521, Cortes regrouped his troops, and with aid from Veracruz, he beseiged Tenochtitlan. It was then invaded and razed, and Mexico City was built upon its ruins. Cortes recieved much fame and glory in Spain for his explorations.
The signifigant gains of this expedition are: the first exploration of the mainland North America, a lot of gold was found and shipped to Spain, the introduction of Christianity to the Indians, a lot of new foods and animals for both sides, and Cortes's personal fame and glory.
I've found through these three explorers that the main risk is going into the unknown. I think that these men were very brave because most men wouldn't take money to do what they did. I also found it ironic that as Magellan was discovering new parts of South America, Cortes was already destroying its people. These three were the pioneers of the New World.
