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Mar 16, 1521
Ferdinand Magellan's Arrival to the Philippines
On March 16th of 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, who was sailing for Spain, arrived to the unpopulated island of Homonhon in the Philipines. Magellan quickly made alliances with some native Filipinos, and he befriended Rajah Humabon, the chieftain of Sugbu. Magellan converted the people of Sugbu into Cathliocs and became involved in the province's politics. -
Apr 27, 1521
Battle of Mactan
Due to Magellan's political involvment with Sugbuans, he agreed to help invade their rival Filipino province, Mactan Island. Magellan sailed to the island and went ashore with only 60 Spanish soldiers. Lapu-Lapu, Mactan's chieftan, and his army of 1500 drastically outnumbered Magellan and his men and Magellan and 14 of his men were killed. The remaining men were able to board two of the ships that they had came in on and they sailed to the Spice Islands, which are today part of Indonesia. -
Period: Apr 27, 1521 to
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Feb 13, 1565
Miguel López de Lazpi's Journey from New Spain to the Philippines
Magellan's men were the first Spanish to go to the Philippines and to the Maluku Islands, also known as the Spice Islands. In 1565, a man named Miguel López de Lazpi, who was sailing from Spain's colony in the Americas, New Spain (today known as Mexico), discovered a route between New Spain and the Philippines. Lazpi's men colonized the Filipino capital, Manila, and soon a spice trade route was set up between the Philippines and Mexico. -
Galleon Trade Route
The trade route betweeen Cebu, Philippines and Acapulco, Mexico was traveled by huge Spanish ships known as Manila Galleons. The ships carried spices, porcelain and from the Spice Islands and Asia-Pacific to the Americas, where the goods were sold. The route proved extremely profitable and in 1593 the Spanish passed a law that said that only two ships could make the journey per year. This law was passed in Spain's interest in holding a monopoly over all of their colonies' trade. -
Global Trade
The Galleon trade route lasted for nearly 250 years, but it finally collapsed in 1815 when Mexico claimed it's independence from Spain. The bulk of the trade took place from 1700-1800, and in this 100 year span 1.5 billion ounces of silver were mined in Mexico to pay for the goods brought back by the Manila Galleons. This trade route created one of the first global markets in which goods from one part of the world began to show up in another.
