From the earliest of times it has been human nature to explore. Exploration and Navigation is still part of our lives today, though we are now exploring outer space. In the 15th and 16th Centuries, Europeans wanted to trade with those in the far east. In order to do this by land, the Europeans had to cross various countries’ land, including the Ottoman Empire, to get to the East. These navigators, were able to develop routes to the East by sea that became easier for European nations. Each navigator showed courage to discover paths and build off of what other explorers had done before them. Bartolomeu Dias showed courage when sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, establishing a way by sea to get to the east. Christopher Columbus showed courage
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He was born to a wealthy family in Portugal so he received an education at the University of Lisbon. A Christian, part of the reason Dias kept going further down the African coast was to meet Prester John. Prester John was regarded as a Christian priest and an African King. In August of 1487, Dias embarked on a journey from Portugal that would have a significant impact on the course of history. Being an experienced in voyages, Bartolomeu Dias took 10 months for preparations before embarking on his journey. Dias headed south along the coast, heading towards and later arriving in Walvis Bay, a bay on the coast of modern day Namibia. After leaving, Dias and his crew got caught in a storm that prolonged for almost 2 weeks. Once the weather cleared up, Dias and his crew could not find land sailing Eastward. It was then that Bartolomeu Dias decided to sail North, believing that they had gone further south than the southern coast of Africa. This decision ultimately paid off, as they landed in Mossel Bay, in modern day South Africa in February of 1488. Dias wanted to name the cape below Africa “The Cape of Storms” due to all of the bad weather in that area, but King John II overruled him and named it the “Cape of Good Hope” because he wanted to encourage travel in the area. Bartolomeu died in 1500 due to a violent storm on a voyage, but his legacy will be everlasting. Bartolomeu Dias’ journey to the Cape of Good Hope opened the door to a sea route to India and Asia. Not long after Dias, Vasco da Gama sailed from Portugal to India and back between 1497 and 1499. Before Dias, Europeans had to pay a Fee to use trade routes across multiple counties’ land, such as the Ottoman Empire, to trade with India and Asia. After Dias, a vast majority of trade between Europeans and India was initiated through sea
He was born to a wealthy family in Portugal so he received an education at the University of Lisbon. A Christian, part of the reason Dias kept going further down the African coast was to meet Prester John. Prester John was regarded as a Christian priest and an African King. In August of 1487, Dias embarked on a journey from Portugal that would have a significant impact on the course of history. Being an experienced in voyages, Bartolomeu Dias took 10 months for preparations before embarking on his journey. Dias headed south along the coast, heading towards and later arriving in Walvis Bay, a bay on the coast of modern day Namibia. After leaving, Dias and his crew got caught in a storm that prolonged for almost 2 weeks. Once the weather cleared up, Dias and his crew could not find land sailing Eastward. It was then that Bartolomeu Dias decided to sail North, believing that they had gone further south than the southern coast of Africa. This decision ultimately paid off, as they landed in Mossel Bay, in modern day South Africa in February of 1488. Dias wanted to name the cape below Africa “The Cape of Storms” due to all of the bad weather in that area, but King John II overruled him and named it the “Cape of Good Hope” because he wanted to encourage travel in the area. Bartolomeu died in 1500 due to a violent storm on a voyage, but his legacy will be everlasting. Bartolomeu Dias’ journey to the Cape of Good Hope opened the door to a sea route to India and Asia. Not long after Dias, Vasco da Gama sailed from Portugal to India and back between 1497 and 1499. Before Dias, Europeans had to pay a Fee to use trade routes across multiple counties’ land, such as the Ottoman Empire, to trade with India and Asia. After Dias, a vast majority of trade between Europeans and India was initiated through sea