Portugal and the Age of Exploration Chapter 3 Section 2 Pages

Prince Henry, Prince Henry was deeply affected by the spirit of learning during the Renaissance. His driving interest was to make Portugal the world’s leading sea power. Prince Henry was deeply affected by the spirit of learning during the Renaissance. His driving interest was to make Portugal the world’s leading sea power. –Wanted to find an ocean route to around Africa to Asia. –Locate the source of the gold that came from the lands far to the south of Africa. Prince Henry

Prince Henry the Navigator To accomplish his goals: To accomplish his goals: –Prince Henry established a school to teach Portuguese sailors more about navigation. –Prince Henry started by bringing together mapmakers, astronomers, and shipbuilders throughout the Mediterranean world to study and plan voyages of exploration.

Success of the Portuguese –Portuguese shipbuilders designed a sturdy ship called the caravel. –Mapmakers corrected and improved their sailing charts. –Portugal led the rest of Europe into the great Age of Exploration.

Portuguese Travels By 1460, Henry’s death, the Portuguese had sailed about one- fourth down the coast of Africa. By 1460, Henry’s death, the Portuguese had sailed about one- fourth down the coast of Africa.

Three African Empires During Europe’s Middle Ages, large and wealthy empires developed in West Africa. During Europe’s Middle Ages, large and wealthy empires developed in West Africa. –Ghana –Mali –Songhai

Three African Empires These empires controlled trade routes that ran from North Africa to the West African Coast. These empires controlled trade routes that ran from North Africa to the West African Coast. Muslims of North Africa traveled 1,200 miles across the Sahara in large camel caravans to West African markets. Muslims of North Africa traveled 1,200 miles across the Sahara in large camel caravans to West African markets. Camel Caravan in the Sahara

Three African Kingdoms Ghana flourished between 700 and Ghana flourished between 700 and –Large Muslim population –Traded large amounts of gold and salt. Mali replaced Ghana by the 1200s. Mali replaced Ghana by the 1200s. –Major city of Timbuktu became a leading center of Islamic culture. –Mansa Musa persuaded some of Islam’s finest scholars to work in Timbuktu. Songhai grew rich from trade in gold and ivory. Songhai grew rich from trade in gold and ivory. –Askia Muhammad ruled from 1493 to –Became much larger than Mali and Ghana.

Portugal’s Search for Riches Portuguese captains heard stories of the West African Trading Kingdoms. Portuguese captains heard stories of the West African Trading Kingdoms. –As the Portuguese pushed South, they named areas based on the products widely traded in each area. This included the Ivory Coast, Gold Coast, and Slave Coast. It was on the Slave Coast that the Portuguese began trading in human beings. It was on the Slave Coast that the Portuguese began trading in human beings.

A Passage to India By the mid 1400s, the Portuguese had found many riches, but not a way around Africa to Asia. By the mid 1400s, the Portuguese had found many riches, but not a way around Africa to Asia. –In 1488, Bartholomeu Dias sailed as far as the southern tip of Africa. –The king was so encouraged he named the southern tip of Africa the Cape of Good Hope. Bartholomeu Dias

A Passage to India Ten years later, in 1497, Vasco da Gama set sail around the tip of Africa and landed on the west coast of India in May of Ten years later, in 1497, Vasco da Gama set sail around the tip of Africa and landed on the west coast of India in May of Vasco da Gama