Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

Nyd den ubegrænsede adgang til tusindvis af spændende e- og lydbøger - helt gratis

  • Lyt og læs så meget du har lyst til
  • Opdag et kæmpe bibliotek fyldt med fortællinger
  • Eksklusive titler + Mofibo Originals
  • Opsig når som helst
Start tilbuddet
DK - Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

The Portuguese Empire and Africa: The History and Legacy of Portugal’s Exploration and Colonization of the West African Coast

29 Anmeldelser

3.7

Længde
1T 29M
Sprog
Engelsk
Format
Kategori

Historie

By the mid-15th century the Byzantine Empire had collapsed and the various Crusades that had taken place in the region had largely disrupted the overland routes of the Silk Road and trade. Compounding the difficulties of trade was the rise of the Ottoman Empire in place of the Byzantines and the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe.

It was roughly around this time that a period of European exploration began, and major factors that contributed to this period of exploration were introduced by the Chinese, albeit indirectly. The magnetic compass had already been developed and used by the Chinese sailors since the 12th century, although it had first been created in the 3rd century BCE as a divination device. The Song Dynasty then began using the device for land navigation in the 11th century and sailors began using it shortly after. The technology slowly spread west via Arab traders, although a case can be made for the independent European creation for the compass (Southey 1812: 210). Regardless, by the 13th century the compass had found its way to Western traders, coming at a time that trade had been increasing across Europe.

Trade was able to increase in Europe around the world due to more effective ships being introduced, and some of the improvements that were made to the ships were first introduced by the Chinese. The introduction of multiple mast ships and the sternpost rudders allowed the ships to travel quicker and be more maneuverable. By the start of the 15th century, ships were now much larger and able to support long distance travel with a minimum number of crew aboard.

With that, the Portuguese started exploring the west coast of Africa and the Atlantic under orders from Prince Henry the Navigator. At this point, Europeans had not yet been capable of navigating completely around Africa since the ships being built were not yet fully capable of being able to sail very far from the coast and navigation in open waters was difficult, but the Portuguese continued pushing down the western African coast looking for ways to bypass the Ottomans and Muslims of Africa who had been making overland trade routes difficult. In 1451, Prince Henry the Navigator helped fund and develop a new type of ship, the caravel, that featured triangular lateen sails and would be able to travel in the open ocean and sail against the wind. In 1488, Bartholomew Diaz rounded the southern tip of Africa, named the Cape of Good Hope by King John of Portugal, and entered the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic.

One explorer, Christopher Columbus, sought funding from the Portuguese to search for a passage to Asia by sailing westwards, but he was rejected. At this time in the late 15th century, Portugal’s domination of the western African sea routes prompted the neighboring Crown of Castile and the Catholic monarchs in modern Spain to search for an alternative route to south and east Asia (termed Indies), so they provided Columbus with the funding he required. Ultimately, Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, and Spanish settlements in the “West Indies” would eventually be established.

Of course, when it became clear Columbus hadn’t landed in Asia, it was understood by everyone that this was not necessarily the route the Europeans were searching for, and the Portuguese continued to send explorers around the Cape of Good Hope in an attempt to reach the East Indies. After a two-year voyage, in 1499, Vasco da Gama had successfully reached India and returned to Portugal.

© 2020 Charles River Editors (Lydbog): 9781987126341

Release date

Lydbog: 10. marts 2020

Andre kan også lide...

  1. Holy Roman Empire: A Captivating Guide to the Holy Roman Empire and Carolingian Dynasty Captivating History
  2. Chechnya: The History of the Chechen Republic and the Ongoing Conflict with Russia Charles River Editors
  3. The Ottoman-Russian Wars of the 19th Century: The History of the Conflicts Between Russia and the Ottoman Empire Leading Up to World War I Charles River Editors
  4. Ancient Greece 101: Greek History, Myth, and Civilization Christopher M. Bellitto
  5. Metternich: Strategist and Visionary Wolfram Siemann
  6. Useful Enemies: Islam and The Ottoman Empire in Western Political Thought, 1450–1750: Islam and The Ottoman Empire in Western Political Thought, 1450-1750 Noel Malcolm
  7. Lutzen: Great Battles Peter H. Wilson
  8. The Carolingian Empire: A Captivating Guide to the Carolingian Dynasty and Their Large Empire That Covered Most of Western Europe During the Reign of Charlemagne Captivating History
  9. History of Iceland: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Land of Fire and Ice, from the Viking Age to the Present Captivating History
  10. The World's First Superpower: The Rise of the British Empire From 1497 To 1901 Denis Judd
  11. Stalin as Warlord Alfred J. Rieber
  12. Making the Imperial Nation: Colonization, Politics, and English Identity, 1660-1700 Gabriel Glickman
  13. Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution William Doyle
  14. November 1918: The German Revolution Robert Gerwarth
  15. Stalin as Revolutionary 1879-1929: A Study in History and Personality Robert C. Tucker
  16. Stalin and the Fate of Europe: The Postwar Struggle for Sovereignty Norman M. Naimark
  17. A History of Modern Britain Andrew Marr
  18. Memoirs Louis XIV and the Regency Dolf de Roos
  19. World's First Superpower: From Empire to Commonwealth, 1901–Present Denis Judd
  20. Epochs European Civilization: Reformation to the Twenty-First Century Geoffrey Hosking
  21. Empire and Jihad: The Anglo-Arab Wars of 1870-1920 Neil Faulkner
  22. The Story of Britain: From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History Rebecca Fraser
  23. A History of Venice: Queen of the Seas Thomas F. Madden
  24. The Idea of Europe and the Origins of the American Revolution D.H. Robinson
  25. The Reformation: A History Patrick Collinson
  26. Empire of Gold: A History of the Byzantine Empire Thomas F. Madden
  27. Pearl of the Desert: A History of Palmyra Rubina Raja
  28. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Thomas F. Madden
  29. The Norman Conquest in English History: Volume I: A Broken Chain? George Garnett
  30. Medieval Christianity: A New History Kevin Madigan
  31. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 3 Edward Gibbon
  32. Medieval European Empires: Early Nations of Fifth Century Europe to the Renaissance Arthur Eaton
  33. By Steppe, Desert, and Ocean: The Birth of Eurasia Barry Cunliffe
  34. Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present Michael B. Oren
  35. Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power Victor Davis Hanson
  36. The Ottomans: An Enthralling Overview of the Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Life of Suleiman the Magnificent Billy Wellman
  37. Indus Valley Civilization: An Enthralling Overview of the Harappan Civilization, Starting from the Early Harappan through Mohenjo-daro to the Aryan Invasion and Achaemenid Conquest Billy Wellman
  38. Great Society: A New History Amity Shlaes
  39. Princes of the Renaissance Mary Hollingsworth
  40. The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China Christopher I. Beckwith
  41. A Concise History of the United States of America Susan-Mary Grant
  42. Vatican I: The Council and the Making of the Ultramontane Church John W. O’Malley
  43. The Church History Eusebius
  44. Central Asia: A New History from the Imperial Conquests to the Present Adeeb Khalid
  45. The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End Peter W. Galbraith
  46. Christology 101: The Catholic's Guide to Christ's Person, Nature, and Mission Robin Ryan
  47. Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America Daniel K Richter

Vælg dit abonnement

  • Over 600.000 titler

  • Download og nyd titler offline

  • Eksklusive titler + Mofibo Originals

  • Børnevenligt miljø (Kids Mode)

  • Det er nemt at opsige når som helst

Flex

For dig som vil prøve Mofibo.

89 kr. /måned
  • 1 konto

  • 20 timer/måned

  • Gem op til 100 ubrugte timer

  • Eksklusivt indhold hver uge

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Ingen binding

Prøv gratis
Den mest populære

Premium

For dig som lytter og læser ofte.

129 kr. /måned
  • 1 konto

  • 100 timer/måned

  • Eksklusivt indhold hver uge

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Ingen binding

Start tilbuddet

Unlimited

For dig som lytter og læser ubegrænset.

149 kr. /måned
  • 1 konto

  • Ubegrænset adgang

  • Eksklusivt indhold hver uge

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Ingen binding

Start tilbuddet

Family

For dig som ønsker at dele historier med familien.

Fra 179 kr. /måned
  • 2-6 konti

  • 100 timer/måned pr. konto

  • Fri lytning til podcasts

  • Kun 39 kr. pr. ekstra konto

  • Ingen binding

2 konti

179 kr. /måned
Prøv gratis