Download The Portuguese Voyages – Prince Henry, Diaz, de Gama.

The Age of
Exploration
The Portuguese Voyages
In Today’s Class
In today’s lesson we will learn about the
Portuguese explorers and the voyages around
the world.
● Prince Henry the Navigator
● Bartholomew Diaz
● Vasco de Gama.
Introduction to the Portuguese Voyages
Reasons for the Voyages
● They wanted to increase the opportunity for
the Portuguese to trade.
● They heard about a great Christian king
called Prester John who they thought could
help them fight the Muslims in northern
Africa and the Middle East.
● The Portuguese heard that there were gold
mines further south in Africa.
Prince Henry the Navigator
● Prince Henry was one of the
younger sons of King John I.
● He was very interested in
exploration and set up a school for
navigation in southern Portugal.
● People came from all around to
learn about map making,
shipbuilding, and astronomy, and to
plan their voyages.
Prince Henry the Navigator
● Prince Henry organised voyages
along the African coast.
● His ships would mark the
furthest distance they got with a
stone pillar and then return with
gold for the next voyage.
● His sailors discovered the
Azores, the Canary Islands,
and the Cape Verde Islands.
Bartholomew Diaz
● Bartholomew Diaz was a Portuguese noble
who wanted to reach the southernmost
point of Africa.
● He sailed south by the coast but was caught
in a storm that blew him off course for two
weeks.
● He finally reached the southern tip of Africa
and called it the Cape of Storms.
● When he returned to Portugal, King John
renamed it the Cape of Good Hope.
Vasco de Gama
● De Gama set sail with four ships in
the hopes of finding a sea route to
Asia.
● Unlike other Portuguese explorers,
de Gama avoided Africa until he
passed the Cape of Good Hope.
● He was out of sight of land for 96
days.
Vasco de Gama
● After de Gama rounded the Cape of
Good Hope, he reached Kenya and
hired an Arab pilot to help him reach
India.
● By the time de Gama returned to
Portugal, many of his crew died and
it was two years after he left.
● De Gama was given lands, a title,
and a pension by the King.
Map of the Portuguese Voyages
Results of the Portuguese Voyages
● Trading posts and forts were set up along the
east coast of Africa, India, and the Spice
Islands.
● The Arabs were pushed further back towards
the Middle East.
● This was the start of the powerful Portuguese
empire.
● Portuguese language and culture was spread.
In Conclusion
The Portuguese Voyages were led by:
● Prince Henry the Navigator, who reached
the islands east of Africa.
● Bartholomew Diaz, who reached the Cape of
Good Hope.
● Vasco de Gama, who sailed all the way to
India and back again.