Magellan’s voyage and the era of global trade

Analysis

Nearly 500 years ago, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out with a fleet of five ships on behalf of the Spanish crown. The intent was to conquer the seas and find an alternative western route to the Far East to maintain the spice trade. On Nov. 1, 1520, after more than a year of sailing and a failed mutiny, three ships entered the eastern opening of the passage now known as the Strait of Magellan. Thirty-eight days later, after the crew had navigated the 530-kilometer (373-mile) maze, they emerged on the other side to find another vast body of water, which Magellan dubbed “Mar Pacifico.” Having successfully navigated the strait, a small fraction of Magellan’s crew managed to complete the first circumnavigation of the globe, although the captain’s own voyage would be cut violently short — he would die in battle in the Philippines before returning home.