part+2-+relations+with+native+groups

Magellan was at first friendly to his fellow natives. then as time went on he wanted to convert the Philippiens to Christianity and in particular the chief, but he refused. He rejected Magellan so Magellan tried to force a religion on him by repeatedly trying to convert his people. Some agreed to convert but the chief saw him as a destruction to their land and he ordered men to charge at him and kill him. Magellan once said," The church says the world is flat, but i know that it is round. For i have seen the shadow on the moon, and i have more faith in a shadow than in a church." Magellan believes that the church's view of the world is incorrect but he has evidence that it is round because he saw an eclipse. Mangellan was on the island with the Philippiens during a local war so misfortune was ahead of him. He was not welcomed by many of the natives because he was in an unknown area. Many opposed his views but many also accepted him which caused a dramatic change in their environment. He wasn't traveling to just explore, he also wanted to see new people and try to convert. His motives, just like most European explorers was " God, gold, and glory." Magellan and his crew were the first to encounter the Pacific Ocean and there is a strait named after him called the Strait of Magellan. Magellan and his men caused the population of the natives to decrease because of their diseases such as small pox and other airborne diseases. He tried to colonize the area and have a mixed culture, but unfortunately his last visit was rough. He attempted to unite them through religion and pushed the chief to convert until he had enough. The Treaty of Tordesillas says that everything east was to Portugal and everything west was to Spain. Although, the eastern area has not yet been explored by the Spaniards and some of the spice islands lie in their. So Magellan, curious about the situation, set out a voyage to test or discover the truth about this assumption. This is part of the reason why he encountered the Philippines. Magellan, in a way made the natives even more frustrated because there was already a war going on and he disrupted them at the wrong time. Magellan never intended to conquer the natives like other explorers, he just wanted to convert them, get some spices, and colonize the area. He wanted smooth sailing through his voyages because he knew the trip was dangerous enough without the fights and wars. He had more problems than he hoped for, however and just as he though things couldn't get worse, he was shot with an arrow in his foot and died. throughout all the harsh fights and weather conditions Magellan faced, he was still successful in circumnavigating the world. He didn't directly harm the Philippines but the diseases his men carried along ships damaged their environment. As a result, many natives were afraid to live in their area and chaos erupted. Famine occurred and constant fights broke out. These factors would change the Philippians for the worse.