Abdi+Essay

__ Portuguese Empire Essay __ The Portuguese Empire was one of the longest lasting empires in Europe and has made some amazing contribution to the world. The Portuguese civilization has and can greatly benefit our society today in various fields such as trade, exploration and navigation, and colonization. The next few paragraphs will explain how these subjects can help us and how they have significantly shaped the way we think and live today.

Many empires have had a period in their civilization where trade had been a significant factor on determining whether or not the society prospers or collapses. The golden ages of Portugal happened partly because of their great success in the trading field. It started when Henry the Navigator explored the West coast of Africa and started the trades mostly in slaves and gold. This encouraged other Empires to carry out the same goal and overseas trade became widely popular because of the Portuguese. Soon after that Vasco da Gama another explorer saw an opportunity for Portugal to flourish and went on a voyage to India rounding the West coast of Africa and established the first Portuguese outpost there. This also encouraged other to engage in trade with India because of its spice. Two years after da Gama reached Portugal another explorer went on a voyage to the south west of Portugal and discovered Brazil. Although initially less important than the other colonies Brazil proved to be vital colony for Portugal because of its vast resources such as coffee, sugar canes and gold. Both the early societies and the modern have benefited deeply from Portuguese trade. Without the Portuguese trade our trading methods could have changed and our desired for resources wouldn’t have existed.

Portugal has for along time been and Empire that had a great interest in exploration and because of that has contributed to exploration and navigational methods in many ways. Many European civilizations had no idea to get to India by sea and even if they did didn’t have the write technology or navigational skills to get there. Henry the Navigator took a voyage with his crew around the Cape of Good Hope. In the 15th century no one knew what existed past that area in South Africa. Henry the Navigator being a great navigator to a trip there hoping to find a place to launch overseas trade. Much of Portugal’s overseas success came after the invention of the Caravel, an important ship used by many European explorers. This ship, invented by the Portuguese, was imitated by many European nations. Another famous explorer was Pedro Alvares Cabral well known for his discovery of Brazil, Portugal’s larges province. Cabral’s primary mission was to introduce Christianity to where ever he went but on his expedition came across a vast area of land and people to teach Christianity to and make trades with. Perhaps the most famous explorer of the Portuguese Era was Vasco da Gama widely recognized for his amazing expedition to India. Today’s people have learned a lot from these famous Portuguese explorers who took risky tasks that have revolutionized the way we explore.

The Portuguese have been colonized by the Spanish in the 11th century but after gaining its own independence has colonized many other areas starting with Ceuta in 1415 an area owned by Morocco. From there they expanded to all sides of the planet from Africa to many areas in Asia. They gain control over Brazil and had a huge influence on India. All these colonies helped Portugal spread their view on Christianity and trade. Many of these areas also learned the Portuguese language and culture. Not to say colonizing an area is a good thing but the Portuguese made good use of the area they has control over. Today’s people could learn from how the Portuguese gave cultural and religious knowledge to those of other societies.

In conclusion the golden age of the Portuguese empire was reached by means of trade, exploration, and colonization. Through trade they established various trading ports which made them a powerful empire when it came to importing and exporting. Though their numerous explorations, which lead to countless colorizations, they were able to spread their cultural and religious beliefs around the world. Overall this enabled them to stay at the height of the golden age. To Introductory Page To Research Notes To Fall of the Portuguese Empire