Exercises on Portuguese Maritime Expansion

The maritime and commercial expansion undertaken by the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries is linked:

a) the mercantile interests focused on the "spices" of the East, responsible even for the non-exploitation of African gold and ivory found in the 15th century;

b) the Portuguese maritime tradition, directed towards the "Ocean sea" (Atlantic) in search of fabulous islands and great treasures;

c) the existence of meticulous plans drawn up by the wise men of the School of Sagres, who predicted being able to reach the East by sailing to the West;

d) to various casualties that, combined with Muslim geographical knowledge, made it possible to always advance towards the South and thus reach the Indies;

e) the systematic character that the mercantile company assumed, exploring the African coast, but always in search of the "passage" that would lead to the Indies.

It was a relevant factor for the Portuguese pioneering in the European maritime and commercial expansion of the 15th and 16th centuries:

a) the early political centralization, added to the existence of a mercantile group interested in expansion and the presence of technicians and scholars, including foreigners;

b) Portugal's geographical position – at the entrance to the Mediterranean, facing the Atlantic and close to North Africa –, without which, all other advantages would be null;

c) the power of the Portuguese nobility, inhibiting the retrograde influence of the Catholic Church, which fought scientific and technological advances as sinful interventions in the domains of God;

d) the political-administrative decentralization of the Portuguese State, enabling the contribution of each public and social sector in the strategic organization of maritime expansion;

e) the interest of the Portuguese clergy in the expansion of Christianity, which made the Catholic Church the main financier of the conquests, although it demanded, on the other hand, the constant presence of the cross.

(Mackenzie)

"The great changes that took place in nautical art during the second half of the 15th century lead us to believe in the possibility of reaching, around the African continent, to the lands of the East. By sea, these fabled countries presided over the navigations of the Henry period, animated by strictly mercantile objectives. (...) With the expedition of Antão Gonçalves, the slave trade to the Kingdom began in 1441 (...) From the same voyage the first gold powder, although scarce, was rescued in those parts. The ivory, whose trade was until then in the hands of Arab merchants, began to be transported by Portuguese ships, around 1447." (Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, Stages of the Portuguese Discoveries.)

Tick ​​the alternative that best summarizes the content of the above excerpt:

a) The discovery of the American continent by the Spaniards, and later by the Portuguese, reveals the great desire of the Iberian navigators to reach the riches of the East through a route through the West.

b) The Portuguese soon abandoned the voyages of discovery to the East across the Atlantic, as the riches obtained in Africa were enough for them, that is, gold, ivory and slaves.

c) Although the discovery of an African route to the East was for the Portuguese, something increasingly achievable due to technical advances, it was the commercial exploration of the African coast that, in fact, boosted the voyages of the period.

d) Portuguese navigations, at the time of D. Henrique, were motivated, above all, by the fabulous exoticism of the East; secondarily, however, the Portuguese were dedicated to the slave trade, gold and ivory, especially on the African coast.

e) During the Henry period, the great technical improvements in nautical art allowed the Portuguese to reach the East by circumventing the African continent.

(USS)

"Without a doubt, the attraction to the sea was encouraged by the country's geographical position, close to the islands of the Atlantic and the coast of Africa. Given the technology of the time, it was important to have favorable sea currents, and they began exactly in Portuguese ports. .. But there are other factors in Portuguese history that are just as or more important."

Check the alternative that presents other factors of Portuguese participation in European maritime and commercial expansion, in addition to geographical position:

a) The support of the Catholic Church, since the acclamation of the first king of Portugal, was already aimed at both economic and religious expansion, which maritime expansion would achieve.

b) For the mercantile group, maritime expansion was commercial and increased business, overcoming the crisis of the century. For the State, it brought higher incomes; for the nobility, offices and pensions; for the Catholic Church, greater Christianization of the "barbarian peoples".

c) The Portuguese pioneering spirit is due more to the backwardness of its rivals, involved in dynastic disputes, than to factors specific to the historical, economic, political and social process in Portugal.

d) From the beginning, maritime expansion, although it had the enthusiastic support of the mercantile group, was fought by the agricultural owners, for whom the expenditure on trade was wasteful.

e) By leading the arraia-miúda in the Avis Revolution, the bourgeoisie maintained Portugal's independence, centralized power and imposed its specific interest in expansion on the State.

Letter E. Observing the process of development of Portuguese maritime expansion, we note that Portuguese mercantilism was supported by a class of merchants interested in this type of economic activity. In this context, we particularly highlight the desire of the Portuguese to establish a navigation route to the Indies that would be consolidated through the circumnavigation of the African continent.

Letter A. Unlike other European nations, Portugal managed to establish the formation of its National State in the 14th century, with the outbreak of the so-called Avis Revolution. In addition to the early achievement of political stability, the Portuguese were helped by the intense exchange of information that took place between the navigators of that time. In this regard, we highlight the important role played by the so-called Escola de Sagres.

Letter C. Observing the text, we see that the process of maritime expansion of the Portuguese was marked by the gradual construction of objectives. At first, trade along the African coast already represented a great advance for the time. Only in a second moment does the possibility of reaching the East become concrete.

Letter B. In this statement, we can observe the interest of the various social groups at that time. On the one hand, traders saw the expansion as a clear opportunity for material gain. The nobility, on the other hand, hoped that the gains from this same action could grant them positions and preserve privileges. Finally, the Church saw in this activity an ideal opportunity for Catholic Christianity to spread throughout the world.