Portugal Regarded Him As A Traitor

One of the interesting facts about Ferdinand Magellan is before coming to the city-state of Morocco, Ferdinand had a successful military career, which had a significant impact on his life. In the August 1513 combat in Morocco, he not only damaged his leg, leaving him with a persistent limp for the rest of his life. Later, he was accused of unethical behavior and illegally trading with the Moors, which caused him to lose favor with King Manuel I.

With his reputation sullied, he struggled to find work when he returned home. On three occasions, the monarch rejected Ferdinand's plan to locate a new maritime passage to Maluku, the spice hub of modern-day Indonesia. Ferdinand, fed up with the king's continual arguing, left Portugal for Spain, landing in Seville on October 20, 1517. Because Ferdinand had switched his allegiance to Portugal's fiercest enemy, Spain, Portugal deemed this act treasonous, he was considered a traitor. He never came back to Portugal. He married, had two children, and arranged the expedition in Seville. Magellan was chosen admiral of the Spanish Fleet and granted command of the expedition, the five-ship Armada of Molucca, in 1518 for his commitment to the Hispanic Monarchy. He was also named Commander of the Order of Santiago, the Spanish Empire's highest military award.