Why was Prince Henry of Portugal nicknamed “The Navigator”? Henry founded a center for the improvement of shipbuilding, navigation, and map making; organized and financed voyages down the African continent. Henry did a very good job of educating others about exploration.
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What technological improvements made exploration by sea possible in the late 1400s? New navigation instruments (crossstaff, compass, and astrolabe), better maps, and the caravel made sea exploration possible. All of this new technology allowed for improved travel. The compass and astrolabe allowed for explorers to determine latitude. The crossstaff helped measure the angle of the sun. The caravel allowed for further travel at a faster rate with more goods. Mathematical tables were also introduced to provide for better maps when traveling.
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Why did the Portuguese want to explore the west coast of Africa? The Portuguese wanted to explore the west coast of Africa to increase trade and to find a new sea route to the East. The west coast of Africa provided the Portuguese with new ports of access. The network of trade created allowed for more goods to be moved and therefore more money for the Portuguese economy. ◼
How did Portugal profit from the colonies it established off the coast of Africa? It increased its direct trade with the Africans and set up plantations to grow sugar for export to
Europe.
More trade for the Portuguese meant that they could establish permanent colonies in a place that no other European power had yet been to. Remember how Italy dominated the Mediterranean? Now the
Portuguese could make a profit without having to deal with the Italians.
Review
1. How did Prince Henry’s center for navigation help establish Portugal’s trading empire in the
1500s?
Advances in the science of navigation made at Prince Henry’s center enabled the