Portugal’s Role in Exploration

Emma Pospisil

Do you know who led the role of Exploration? Portugal led the role in exploration in the early

1500s. Exploration began after the time of the Renaissance. People became interested in the lands

outside of Europe. They discovered the value of spices and were eager to find those riches themselves.

During this time many people risked their lives in exploration for the little chance of success. I argue that

Portugal sparked an interest and began an important time in history. I will prove this by explaining the

value of spice during this time, technology advances, and Prince Henry’s contributions to exploration.

Portugal led the way in exploration by discovering spices. The spice trade was very valuable

during the time of exploration. They were even a big part of culture before this. In the 16th century Spain

and Portugal spent much of the 16th century fighting over cloves, and England and Dutch fought over

Nutmeg. Other common spices were cinnamon, ginger, and pepper. Explorers would get a crew and a

ship and sail out to an island to find spices. This was very dangerous to sail out to unknown territories

and look for a very valuable and popular idem. On the voyage, they might risk their lives running into

pirates or compete with others looking for the same thing.

Portugal also led the way in exploration by their technology advances. With all the explorations

going on they needed more technology to help them be more successful. One advancement was ship

design. The Portuguese invented a fast sailing, highly maneuverable ship, called the Caravel. The Lateen

sails gave it speed and strength to sail windward. According to u-s-history.com “the caravel employed

new rigging techniques that enabled mariners to more easily negotiate strong headwinds and

unfavorable currents.” Navigational instruments were a key part in exploration. They invented the
compass and maps. Cartographers mapped out where the land was and sea route for the next explorers.

Without these advances the world wouldn’t be the same as it is today.

Lastly, Portugal led the way in exploration because of Prince Henry’s contributions to

exploration. Prince Henry, or Henry the Navigator, contributed by putting most of his energy in studying

sea and exploration. After he received approval, he began a long series of explorations. Historians

believe “One of his greatest contributions was the establishment of a government-sponsored institute at

Sagres, which maintained a school, an observatory, and a base for exploratory ventures at nearby

Lagos”, according to u-s-history.com. Also, advances in navigational instruments, cartography, and the

design of the Caravel were attributed to Prince Henry. During Henry’s lifetime, he did not only explore

the West African Coast, but he also explored into the Madeira and the Azores. He also spread

Christianity to his new lands. Prince Henry was a very important and successful person of this time and

many of his discoveries led to advances we have today.

In conclusion, Portugal led the way in exploration for centuries to come. The discoveries of

spices improved the economy through trade. The spice trade promoted exploration through curiosity

and the challenge to keep looking for new spices. Technological advances made it easier and safer for

explorers to travel and navigate the seas and territories. And through the encouragement of Prince

Henry, new schools and institutes were formed. The 1500’s must have been an exciting time. So much

became possible for the people, especially of Portugal. Did you every think where we would be today if

we didn’t have exploration?