Introduction to History and the Magellan Expedition

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the utility of history, the roles of historians, and the technical details and key figures of the Magellan-del Cano circumnavigation.

istoria

A Greek noun meaning "learning," from which the term history is derived.

scientia

A Latin word for "science" used to designate non-chronological systematic accounts of natural phenomena.

Social laboratory

A concept viewing history as a way to learn people's behavior and societies from the past to help predict future behavior.

The Detective

A role of the historian involving investigating the past, determining what happened, and separating truth from falsehood or bias.

The Storyteller

A role of the historian that involves imparting lessons and morals while entertaining others with the epic story of history.

The Judge

A role of the historian that involves making moral decisions about history and sorting what should be emulated or discarded.

The Philosopher

A role of the historian who reflects on the past, ponders important questions, and may attempt to predict the future.

Primary sources

Documents or physical objects written or created during the time under study that offer an inside view of a particular event.

Secondary Sources

Sources that interpret and analyze primary sources, being one or more steps removed from the event.

PAST Acronym

A framework for analyzing historical sources where P is Purpose, A is Author, S is Slant (bias/perspective), and T is Time Period.

Ferdinand Magellan

A Portuguese explorer who led the first Spanish expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe.

Prince Henry the Navigator

The figure whose efforts made Portugal a leader in early exploration.

Charles V

The Spanish King who gave Magellan five ships in 1519 to sail around the world.

Spice Islands

Also known as the East Indies or the Moluccas, these were the destination of Magellan's search for an alternate route.

Strait of Magellan

A 373-mile (600-kilometer) passage at the southern tip of South America providing a safer route than Cape Horn.

Mar Pacifico

The name Magellan gave to the Pacific Ocean because of its apparent stillness and peaceful waters.

Archipelago of St. Lazarus

The name Ferdinand Magellan gave to the Philippines upon his arrival in 1521.

Juan Sebastián del Cano

The Spanish merchant ship captain who completed the first circumnavigation of the world after Magellan's death.

Victoria

The only vessel out of Magellan's original fleet of five to complete the journey and return to Seville.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement that divided the world between Spain and Portugal.

Antonio Pigafetta

A Venetian scholar and traveler who chronicled the voyage and served as Magellan's assistant.

Armada de Molucca

The fleet of five ships consisting of the Santiago, San Antonio, Concepcion, Trinidad, and Victoria.

Trinidad

The flagship of the Magellan expedition, under the command of Magellan himself.

Enrique of Malacca

Magellan's indentured servant who was part of the expedition's crew.

Francisco Albo

The person who kept a formal logbook of the Magellan-del Cano expedition.

Estrecho de Todos los Santos

The name Magellan originally gave to the strait entering the Pacific, meaning "All Saints' Channel."

Limasawa

The site of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines, held on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521.

Raja Humabon

The ruler of Cebu who converted to Christianity and established cordial relations with Magellan.

Lapu-Lapu

The chief of Mactan who defeated and killed Magellan in battle on April 27, 1521.

Puerto San Julián

The location where the fleet overwintered in 1520 and where a mutiny occurred on three of the ships.

Tehuelche people

The group encountered by the expedition in July 1520, referred to in the journal as "Patagonian giants."

Cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins

The landmark reached on October 11, 1520, which served as the entrance to the Strait of Magellan.

Venetian monopoly

The trade dominance over the eastern route that was broken by the success of Magellan's expedition.