Portuguese Empire Research Paper

The Portuguese Empire also known as the Portuguese Overseas was the first global empire in history. It was also one of the longest lived European Colonial Empires, spanning almost six centuries. As a small nation, Portugal may have appeared to be an unlikely leader in exploration and navigational science. Its geographical position, however, helped to shape its course. Even though Portugal was a very small country, it did have much effect on the Indian trade routes. Surrounded to the east and north by Spain and having no outlets on the Mediterranean, Portugal was compelled to regard the Atlantic Ocean as its main medium of travel. They were a very powerful country, and at one point controlled much of the trade routes. Despite the size that had …show more content…
It held many different types of fire power and was advanced in the discovery of firearms. This new fire power allowed sailors to take captives and conquer new lands for their country without superior numbers of people. This way the Portuguese are able to take over more amounts of land quicker. This is one of the many ways that the Portuguese despite their size had a greater advantage over the other European countries. Given to them by the Chinese, they discover many things to do with these newly created weapon. The Portuguese also experimented with other inventions such as the new type of ship called, “The Caravel” The ship had many different advancement that were not seen on a European ship before. “Portuguese overseas expansion began in the fifteenth century, thanks to several factors that gave the small coastal nation an advantage over its larger European neighbors. First, in the 1300s, Portuguese shipbuilders invented several new techniques that made sailing in the stormy Atlantic Ocean more practical. They combined elements of different types of ships to construct stronger, roomier and more maneuverable caravels”(Jones, 2). The ship instead of having just one mast it had several to better harvest the power of the wind and make it faster. It also included a rudder used to steer the boat and change its course. Also specifically for the Portuguese it was able to sit high …show more content…
Using the map making skill learned in Prince Henry’s navigational school they were able to map the coast and establish forts along the coast to resupply and collect goods and slaves from Africa. This way they wouldn't run out of supplies on the voyage. The only problem with their strategy was not making permanent settlements because in a couple years they get taken over by the other European countries seeking permanent settlements. The Portuguese then learned thier lesson and started to make permanent settlements in South America, specifically Brazil. Eventually, significant losses to the Dutch in Portuguese India and Southeast Asia during the 17th century brought an end to the Portuguese trade monopoly in the Indian