Portugal’s Role in Exploration

Libby Stofko

Did you know that Portugal had a leading role in exploration? Exploration began after the

Renaissance(1400-1500). World History: Connections to Today states, “The Renaissance spirit

of inquiry further fired people’s desire to learn more about the lands beyond Europe.” The first

advanced exploration was lead by Prince Henry in the 1400s. It was to the tip of Africa, which at

the time was a very big deal. Some of the main reasons to sail were to find the source of African

gold, spread Christianity, and buy spices. I argue that Portugal sparked the interest in

exploration. I will prove this by talking about the desire for spices at the time, improved

technology, and how Christopher Columbus was inspired by the Portuguese to explore.

Did you know that in the 1400’s the spices that you have in your kitchen cabinets would

have cost more than your entire house? No one had ever been introduced to anything other than

the natural flavors of food before. When people found out that they could flavor their food so it

did not taste so bland, people jumped on the opportunity. Since spices were in such high demand

and so hard to get to (since sailing was not as advanced), their price was very high. A sack of

spices could be traded for your house, even ancient Romans paid a lot for spices. “Ancient

Romans paid as much as $125 for 12 ounces of pepper,” this is said in World History:

Connections to Today. Portugal was inspired to find these spices when Prince Henry helped fund

the voyage to explore the Western Coast of Africa. Then, Bartholomeus Dias rounded the tip of

Africa, and his trip became known as the Cape of Good Hope. Lastly, nine years later Vasco da

Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope and after ten months reached the spice port of Calcutta.
As indicated in World History: Connections to Today, “In India, da Gama had acquired a cargo

of spices that he sold at a profit of 3,000 percent.”

Before the 1400’s ships were not very advanced. This is why when Prince Henry had his

team redesign his ships, exploration was a lot more popular. The improvements Prince Henry

had done, made the ships more durable and easier to sail. The Europeans also designed new

ships, that were larger and had more weaponry. Portugal’s new features were called caravel’s.

“Which combined the square sails of the European ships with Arab lateen, or triangular, sails,”

this can be read in World History: Connections to Today. Maps were also more advanced at this

time. There were people known as cartographers, they were map makers. They created more

accurate maps and sea charts.

Did you know that Christopher Columbus was not actually trying to discover America?

When he heard the news of Portugal’s success, it motivated him and other nations to find sea

routes to Asia. As showed in World History: Connections to Today, “He wanted to reach the

Indies* by sailing west across the Atlantic.” When Columbus set out on his voyage, he did not

factor in two things. First, he underestimated the size of Earth. Secondly, he did not realize that

there were two continents in his path. When Columbus found this land Spain and Portugal

wanted the lands that he discovered. Pope Alexander VI stepped in and settled it for everyone, he

set a Line of Demarcation. This line divided the new world into two zones, “Spain had trading

and exploration rights in and lands west of the line. Portugal had the same rights east of the line”

This is declared in World History: Connections to Today.

Now you know what a big role Portugal had in the world today. It was proved by the

desire for spices at the time, improved technology, and how Christopher Columbus was inspired

by the Portuguese to explore. It is amazing how something that cost the amount of a house seven
centuries ago, now costs less than five dollars. Thankfully, spices are not as expensive anymore.

Because nowadays, people probably eat at least one meal a day with one or more spices in it. If it

were not for the inspiration of Portugal, America might not exist. That is something scary that

luckily is not true. Today we are still exploring and finding new places, all thanks to the age of

exploration started by Portugal.