Front cover image for Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415-1580

Foundations of the Portuguese empire, 1415-1580

No other people in history made such extensive geographical explorations as Portuguese. During the course of the fifteenth century they were the first to reveal to Europe the unknown coast of West Africa, reaching and passing the Cape of Good Hope. They made the first all-water voyage from the West to the East in 1497-99. Cabral touched on Brazil en route to India in 1500. Many of the East Indies islands had been visited by Portuguese ships before Magellan began the first voyage around the world in 1519. Christopher Columbus largely learned his trade as navigator in Portugal. By the end of the sixteenth century the Portuguese flag was flying around the world. The question arises of why the small country of Portugal led the way in exploration in the fifteenth century. This volume provides not only a narrative of the spread of the Portuguese empire but new interpretations and analyses of the history, such as a discussion of how Portuguese power differed in Africa, India, and the Far East, and an analysis of the empire's failure as a business enterprise. Cover
Print Book, English, [1977]
University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, [1977]
History
xxx, 533 pages, 11 unnumbered leaves of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm.
9780816607822, 9780816608508, 9780196904191, 0816607826, 0816608504, 0196904196
3488742
"Chapters 1-13 and Appendixes 1-16 are by Bailey W. Diffie. Chapters 14-22 are by George D. Winius."