After Alfarrobeira, Henry spent most of his time at Sagres, his castle in the far south of Portugal. He was accorded by the king the sole right to send ships to visit and trade with the Guinea coast of Africa .
In 1415 , his ships reached the Canary Islands, which had already been claimed by Spain. In 1418, the Portuguese came upon the Madeira Islands and established a colony at Porto Santo.
Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese explorer, soldier and prince. Although Prince Henry rarely participated in explorations, he sent many expeditions from Portugal to the west coast of Africa , and was responsible for Portugal’s influence in the Great Age of Exploration.
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 .
From 1444 to 1446 , as many as forty vessels sailed from Lagos on Henry’s behalf, and the first private mercantile expeditions began. Alvise Cadamosto explored the Atlantic coast of Africa and discovered several islands of the Cape Verde archipelago between 1455 and 1456.
What did Prince Henry do to improve sea travel?
Prince Henry’s expeditionary goals were to increase navigational knowledge along the western coast of Africa and find a water route to Asia, to increase trade opportunities for Portugal, to find gold to provide the trips’ own funding, to spread Christianity around the world, and defeat Muslims —and perhaps even to find ...
What did Prince Henry do?
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.
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 .
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.
What were Vasco da Gama accomplishments?
Vasco da Gama was best known for being the first to sail from Europe to India by rounding Africa’s Cape of Good Hope . Over the course of two voyages, beginning in 1497 and 1502, da Gama landed and traded in locales along the coast of southern Africa before reaching India on May 20, 1498.
Judging by his name, you might think that Henry the Navigator was a great explorer with extraordinary navigating skills . ... A nobleman of English, French, and Spanish ancestry, Prince Henry gained his reputation by sponsoring many voyages of discovery along the western coast of Africa.
His goals were to test and gain scientific knowledge , find a route to the rich spice trade of the Indies, and spread the Christian faith. About 1418, Prince Henry started the first school for oceanic navigation along with an astronomical observatory at Sagres, Portugal.
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.
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.
What cause did Prince Henry dedicate his life and his riches to?
Trade routes were closely guarded and protected by other groups of people, making it difficult for the Portuguese to establish trade for themselves. He dedicated his life and his riches to this cause. Even after his death in 1460, Portuguese ship captains were still trying to find the sea route Henry had hoped for.
Why did the Portuguese travel to Africa?
Portuguese expansion into Africa began with the desire of King John I to gain access to the gold-producing areas of West Africa . The trans-Saharan trade routes between Songhay and the North African traders provided Europe with gold coins used to trade spices, silks and other luxuries from India.
