In 1419, Prince Henry started the first school of navigation at Sagres, Portugal. The goal of the school was
to train people in navigation, map-making and science to prepare them to sail around the west coast of Africa
.
The Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) launched the first great European voyages of exploration. He sought new lands and sources of revenue for his kingdom and dynasty and searched for
eastern Christian allies against Islam
.
Prince Henry had several reasons for dispatching his expeditions. He
hoped to find rumored Christian allies
, add to geographic knowledge, and perhaps find a sea route to the Orient. But he also hoped to find gold. For centuries gold objects from sub-Saharan Africa had made their way to Europe.
Unfortunately, a major obstacle along the African route was
Cape Bojador
, southeast of the Canary Islands (located in Western Sahara). European sailors were afraid of the cape, for supposedly to its south lay monsters and insurmountable evils.
Prince Henry the Navigator (aka Infante Dom Henrique, 1394-1460) was a Portuguese prince who famously helped capture the North African city of Ceuta, sponsored voyages of exploration with the aim of building colonies in the North Atlantic and West Africa, and
began the Portuguese involvement in the African slave trade
.
What did Prince Henry discover?
Following this success, Henry began to explore the coast of Africa, most of which was unknown to Europeans. His objectives included finding the source of
the West African gold trade
and the legendary Christian kingdom of Prester John, and stopping the pirate attacks on the Portuguese coast.
Henry the Navigator, a 15th century Portuguese prince, helped usher in
both the Age of Discovery and the Atlantic slave trade
.
The last two important mariners sent out by Henry were
the Venetian explorer Alvise Ca’ da Mosto and the Portuguese Diogo Gomes
, who between them discovered several of the Cape Verde Islands. Afonso V had small interest in discovery but great zeal for Crusading and knight-errantry.
Which country first started exploration?
The Age of Exploration began in the nation of
Portugal
under the leadership of Henry the Navigator.
What did da Gama discover?
Vasco De Gama was the first European to find
an ocean trading route to India
. He accomplished what many explorers before him could not do. His discovery of this sea route helped the Portuguese establish a long-lasting colonial empire in Asia and Africa.
Why were sailors afraid of Cape bojador?
In Henry’s first few missions nobody would dare to go past Cape Bojador. This was because the sailors were
afraid the waters beyond the coastline, about five kilometers out, were only two meters deep and the currents were so strong they would take the ship away
.
What country did Prince Henry explore for?
Prince Henry sponsored explorations that accomplished much for
Portugal
. Not only did his expeditions succeed in mapping much of the coast of west-Africa, but they also succeeded in spreading Christianity, defeating Muslims (enemies of the Portuguese at the time), and establishing new trade routes.
What ushered in the age of exploration?
The Age of Exploration was during the 1400 and 1500s, which was during the Renaissance, and a spirit of discovery and innovation had been opened in Europe. Some innovations that made the Age of exploration possible were
the compass, the astrolabe and, new ships
, such as the caravel.
Why did Prince Henry sponsor many exploration trips?
Henry became fascinated with Africa, a continent about which the Portuguese knew little. He developed a desire to learn about the
Muslims
who lived there, primarily in hopes of conquering them and spreading Christianity. And he became aware of Africa’s many resources, which he hoped to exploit for Portugal’s gain.
Traditional biographies of Henry have credited him with other revolutionary achievements such as the invention of the oceangoing caravel ship and the perfection of the critical navigational instrument called
the astrolabe
.
How did Henry the Navigator promote exploration?
Prince Henry built and observatory and a navigation school to teach better methods of navigation
. He also financed research by map makers and exploration of Africa’s west coast. … Paid for expeditions to explore the coast of Africa.
