How Did Bartolomeu Dias Influence Trade
Bartolomeu Dias explored under the Portuguese flag to go past the Cape of Good Hope in order to find a faster and quicker route to India. Dias traveled west, and then south, down coast of Africa until his crew reached the point of mutiny and forced him to turn back. Dias dropped a padrão at the farthest spot he reached. A padrão is a seven foot limestone column that the Portuguese used to mark their discoveries (“Bartolomeu Dias”, World History, ABC-CLIO). Dias would later help design the ships that would allow Vasco de Gama to reach the goal of traveling to India using his faster and quicker route in 1498 (“Bartolomeu Dias”, Britannica). Achieving this goal enabled Portugal to trade more easily with India and would have positive benefits for the Portuguese economy. The new trade route was truly revolutionary for Dias and Portugal in their mission for a cheaper way to reach India.
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While Bartolomeu Dias was traveling down the African coast gathering riches for Portugal he also had an immense impact on the African cultures he conquered.
“The Portuguese established fortresses and outposts along the coast, carrying out the lucrative business of slavery.” (“Bartolomeu Dias”, World History, ABC-CLIO). Although tragic for the African people living on the West Coast, this expansion allowed the Portuguese to make even more money because the goal of Dias’ expedition was purely economic to begin with. This allowed the Portuguese to have defenses along their new route and protect their riches for years to come. To this day, six African countries such as Angola and Mozambique speak Portuguese as one of their official languages demonstrating the impact Portuguese exploration had on the African
continent.
Bartolomeu Dias allowed the Portuguese to save a lot of money in fees by discovering the sea route to India. Because Dias’ route travelled over the ocean to India, he did not cross through countries by land to get to there. This allowed the Portuguese to save a lot of money that they would have had to pay if they traveled by land using their previous routes (“Bartolomeu Dias”, Britannica). This was even more revolutionary for Portugal because during the time of Dias, money was power and this allowed Portugal both to save and acquire much more money, therefore giving them more economic power. All in all, Bartolomeu Dias’ exploration was truly revolutionary for Portugal for many years.
While Bartolomeu Dias was traveling down the African coast gathering riches for Portugal he also had an immense impact on the African cultures he conquered.
“The Portuguese established fortresses and outposts along the coast, carrying out the lucrative business of slavery.” (“Bartolomeu Dias”, World History, ABC-CLIO). Although tragic for the African people living on the West Coast, this expansion allowed the Portuguese to make even more money because the goal of Dias’ expedition was purely economic to begin with. This allowed the Portuguese to have defenses along their new route and protect their riches for years to come. To this day, six African countries such as Angola and Mozambique speak Portuguese as one of their official languages demonstrating the impact Portuguese exploration had on the African
continent.
Bartolomeu Dias allowed the Portuguese to save a lot of money in fees by discovering the sea route to India. Because Dias’ route travelled over the ocean to India, he did not cross through countries by land to get to there. This allowed the Portuguese to save a lot of money that they would have had to pay if they traveled by land using their previous routes (“Bartolomeu Dias”, Britannica). This was even more revolutionary for Portugal because during the time of Dias, money was power and this allowed Portugal both to save and acquire much more money, therefore giving them more economic power. All in all, Bartolomeu Dias’ exploration was truly revolutionary for Portugal for many years.