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| Things To Know The Land Portuguese Empire The People Society and Language Changing Portugal Prince Henry the Navigator |
Prince Henry the Navigator
The impetus for the great Portuguese “Age of Discovery” of the late 15th century came from the son of João I, Prince Henry,
who was born in 1394. He can be credited with transforming Portugal into a great maritime power whose success was based on
a scientific approach to exploration, navigation and cartography. At his base in the Algarve, Henry collected accomplished
shipbuilders, sailors, instrument makers and astronomers, encouraging them to prepare for long voyages into the unknown. The
highly successful caravel was designed, a speedy ship that made the great voyages possible. Motivated by religion as well
as commerce, Henry's ships sailed ever farther south, rounding Cape Bojador in West Africa, then thought to be the end of
the world, in 1434. By Henry's death in 1460 the Portuguese had reached Sierra Leone, and the known world had become a bigger
place.
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