The Dynamic Era of European Exploration in the 15th and 16th Centuries

 

During the 15th and 16th centuries, European nations embarked on expeditions beyond their continental boundaries in a quest for wealth and territories. Portugal, taking the lead, initiated numerous voyages aimed at establishing trade routes to the riches of the Far East or Africa, as well as exploring the newly discovered lands of the Americas.

 The Age of Discovery's early phases were driven by the profitable spice and goods trade between Europe and the Far East, which had flourished during the Renaissance and was initially dominated by powerful Italian city-states like Venice and Genoa. However, by the early 15th century, other nations, notably Portugal, sought ways to partake in this lucrative trade, spurred on by their military success at Ceuta in Morocco by 1414, revealing the potential profits in African trade. Prince Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) played a crucial role in leading Portugal to initiate significant voyages, greatly expanding European knowledge of the world. 

In the early Portuguese voyages of discovery:

- In 1433, Gil Eannes circumnavigated Cape Bojador, a critical point for early sailors.

- In 1435, Gil Eannes discovered evidence of human habitation 50 leagues (150 miles/241 km) south of Cape Bojador.

- In 1436, Portuguese explorers reached Río de Oro.

- In 1441, Portuguese navigators reached Cape Blanco, bringing back two indigenous Africans to Europe.

- In 1445, Dinis Dias sailed around Cape Verde.

 

Portuguese explorations commenced as relatively brief journeys, gradually expanding in size and scope. Over time, these expeditions challenged and dispelled many European misconceptions, from the perceived distance to the Far East to the supposed boiling temperature of the southern sea. By 1418, the Portuguese had established forts, such as the well-known Elmina, along the African coast. In the 1440s, they initiated the trade in African captives. 

The voyages persisted after the death of Prince Henry, reaching a climax in 1484 with Bartolomeu Dias's expedition around the Cape of Good Hope and Vasco da Gama's successful round-trip journey to Calcutta, India, in 1488. These 15th-century expeditions laid the groundwork for the more extensive Portuguese explorations and settlements in the subsequent century.

 While Spanish leaders were focused on expelling the last remnants of Moorish power, they also recognized the importance of establishing direct trade routes to the East. Unable to match the extensive explorations of the Portuguese, Spain, in 1492, dispatched Christopher Columbus to search for a shorter, western route to the Far East. Although Columbus didn't find that route, his voyages paved the way to the Americas. Subsequently, Spain joined the quest for new routes and lands to exploit. By the early 16th century, the English, French, and Dutch also embraced exploration.