1. Portuguese Exploration
By Mr. Eichmann

2. The Search for Eastern Routes
A combination of ships from Venice and other city-states, and land routes through the Silk Road made Italian city-states very powerful and rich.
European consumers did not want to pay high prices to Italian merchants.
The only option was an all-sea route around Africa to reach India and China.

3. Advantages of a Sea Route to Asia
Ships could sail day and night
Avoid having to pack and unpack goods
Only one shipper would profit from the sea voyage, rather than middlemen
No taxes and tolls would need to be paid.

4. Disadvantages of a Sea Route to Asia
Never done before by Europeans.
Few maps or charts.
Little knowledge of wind and currents
Would take longer for goods to reach Europe.

5. Portugal Makes the Attempt
In the 1440s, Prince Henry, who became known as Prince Henry the Navigator, takes the lead by….
Creating a school for navigation, the science of plotting and directing a ship
Inviting chart makers, sailors, shipbuilders, scientists, and inventors to work there.
Hiring prospective sailors to go on journeys east to Asia.
Financing these voyages.

6. Technological Advancements for Navigation
Compass – tells which direction you are going (improved by the Portuguese
Astrolabe - instrument that showed how far north or south you were from the equator (improved by the Portuguese)
Log – diary of a ship’s journey
Knots – Measurement for the speed of a ship

7. The Caravel
The Portuguese develop a ship called the caravel, a small vessel that was able to handle the high seas.

8. Challenges for Explorers
Inaccurate maps
Storms
Fresh water -need for desalination, (converting salt water into drinking water)
Cooking on a wooden ship
Scurvy – deficiency of Vitamin C
Running out of food and supplies
Morale of the crew (don’t want a mutiny, a rebellion by your crew)

9. Portuguese Exploration
1445 – One of Henry’s ships reached modern day Senegal.
1488 – Bartolomeu Dias sailed around the tip of Africa and returned to Portugal

10. Vasco da Gama
1498- Vasco da Gama becomes the first European to sail around the tip of Africa and reach India.

11. Brazil
1498- Pedro Alvares Cabral, either intentionally or unintentionally, took a far western course in the Atlantic Ocean and landed in the northern part of South America. Colonies were eventually established in what would later named Brazil.

12. Trade Routes
Trade routes were established by making connections with African civilizations and creating trade relations with merchants in India.

13. The Portuguese Monopoly on Trade
Wars in the Byzantine Empire, and possibly Portuguese armies, forced the closing of the Silk Road to trade, giving Portugal a monopoly on trade to Asia and making Italy less powerful.

14. Success of Portugal in the Age of Discovery
They built the first school of navigation in Europe.
They made many advancements in navigation and shipbuilding.
They were the first Europeans to reach India by sailing around Africa.

15. Failures of Portugal in the Age of Discovery
They could not support their colonies with enough people from their country.
Began the slave trade between Europe and Africa.
They eventually lost their colonies to The Netherlands.