Gaspar de Quesada facts for kids

Gaspar de Quesada (died April 7, 1520) was a Spanish explorer. He was a captain on Magellan's famous journey around the world. Quesada commanded the ship called the Concepción. About six months into the trip, Quesada and two other Spanish captains tried to take control from Magellan. This happened during the Easter mutiny at a port in South America called St. Julian. The mutiny failed, and Magellan had Quesada executed.

Magellan's Great Journey

Not much is known about Gaspar de Quesada's life before he joined Magellan's expedition. People knew him as a "servant of the Archbishop of Seville". Even Charles I of Spain said he was "informed about his reputation and abilities."

Quesada was chosen as a captain by Archbishop Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca. He was one of three Spanish captains on the journey. The other two were Juan de Cartagena and Luis Mendoza. These three captains did not like Magellan, who was the main leader of the expedition. They would later plan the Easter mutiny.

The expedition left Spain on September 20, 1519. They sailed west towards South America. While they stopped at the Canary Islands, Magellan got a secret message. His father-in-law warned him that the Spanish captains were planning to rebel.

Later, as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean, Magellan met with his captains. They talked about their route. During this meeting, Cartagena was very rude to Magellan. He even said he would not take orders from Magellan anymore. Magellan then arrested Cartagena. Cartagena tried to get Quesada and Mendoza to fight back, but they did not. Cartagena was briefly put in chains. But Quesada and Mendoza convinced Magellan to release Cartagena. He was then kept on the ship Victoria, which Mendoza commanded.

The fleet arrived at Rio de Janeiro in December 1519. They stayed there for two weeks. After leaving Rio de Janeiro, the ships sailed south for three months. They were looking for a way around or through the continent. When the weather became too bad, the fleet stopped on March 31. They anchored at a natural harbor they named Saint Julian. This place is in modern-day Argentina. They planned to wait there for winter to end before continuing their search for a passage.

The Easter Mutiny

Gaspar de Quesada, along with Juan de Cartagena and Luis Mendoza, was a main leader of the Easter mutiny. This rebellion happened at St. Julian on April 1 and 2. The mutiny started around midnight on April 1. Quesada and Cartagena secretly led thirty armed men onto the ship San Antonio. They had come from the Concepción in a small boat. They took control of the San Antonio. Quesada said he was the new captain of the San Antonio. Cartagena went back to command the Concepción. With Mendoza commanding the Victoria, the rebels now controlled three of the five ships.

Magellan fought back successfully. First, he had Mendoza killed and took control of the Victoria. Then, he blocked the harbor. This stopped the Concepción and San Antonio from escaping.

Quesada seemed to plan to escape at dawn on April 3. But before daylight, the San Antonio drifted close to Magellan's main ship, the Trinidad. A group of Magellan's men were able to board the San Antonio. They found Quesada walking on the ship's deck, wearing full armor and carrying a spear and shield. Quesada and the other plotters were arrested. The rest of the San Antonio crew promised to be loyal to Magellan.

There are different ideas about why the San Antonio drifted so close to Magellan's ship:

• A strong outgoing tide might have pulled it.
• Quesada might have raised three of the ship's four anchors to get a quick start at dawn. The one remaining anchor might not have been enough to stop the ship from drifting.
• Other stories say Magellan sent a sailor in a small boat to the San Antonio to cut its anchor rope. This sailor might have been allowed on board because he claimed to be joining the mutineers. Or, there might have been loyal Magellan supporters on the San Antonio who helped him.

Quesada's Death

After the Easter mutiny, Magellan held a trial. He sentenced Quesada to death. The other Spanish captain who survived, Juan de Cartagena, was left behind on a deserted island. Magellan could not find anyone who wanted to execute Quesada. So, he offered to let Quesada's helper, Luis Molino, go free if he would do it. Molino agreed. On April 7, 1520, Gaspar de Quesada was beheaded.

See also

In Spanish: Gaspar de Quesada para niños