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Concepción (carrack) facts for kids

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"Concepción (ship)" redirects here. For the American Civil War ship sold to Chile and renamed Concepción, see CSS Robert E. Lee.

The Concepción (which means "Conception" in Spanish) was an important Spanish ship from the early 1500s. It was a type of ship called a carrack, used during the time of great exploration known as the Age of Discovery. The Concepción is mostly remembered as part of the Molucca Fleet. This fleet set sail in 1519, led by Ferdinand Magellan, to find a new sea route around South America to the Spice Islands (which are now the Maluku Islands in Indonesia). This journey eventually became the first trip around the world. The Concepción itself did not complete the entire journey. It had to be sunk in the Philippines in 1521 because it was too damaged to continue.

The Ship's Journey

The Concepción was a large ship for its time, able to carry about 90 "tonels" of cargo. This was a special Spanish measurement for how much a ship could hold. It left Seville, Spain, on August 10, 1519. The ship had a crew of 44 men. Its captain was Gaspar de Quesada. Juan Sebastián Elcano, who later became very famous, was the ship's boatswain (a senior crew member).

Crossing the Pacific

Later in the journey, João Serrão commanded the Concepción as the fleet crossed the Pacific Ocean. After Ferdinand Magellan died in 1521 during a fight on Mactan Island, Serrão became one of the new leaders of the expedition. The local leader, Lapulapu, had refused to join the Spanish or pay tribute.

The Ship's End

After Magellan's death, there was a conflict with the local leader Rajah Humabon in Cebu. The Spanish expedition lost many men in a fight. With too few sailors and not enough supplies to fix and sail all the ships, the new leader, João Lopes Carvalho, made a difficult decision. He ordered the Concepción, which was the most damaged ship, to be left behind and burned. This happened in the Philippines in 1521.

Even though the Concepción didn't finish the trip, another ship from the fleet, the |Victoria|ship|2, successfully returned to Seville. It was led by Juan Sebastián Elcano, making it the first ship to sail all the way around the world.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Concepción (nao) para niños

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