Early Portuguese and Spanish voyages marked the start of European exploration and colonization. Portugal focused on finding a sea route to Asia, exploring Africa's coast. Spain, led by Columbus, stumbled upon the Americas, sparking a rush for gold and empire-building.

These expeditions reshaped global trade and power dynamics. Portugal broke Venice's monopoly on Asian goods, while Spain's American conquests brought vast wealth. Both nations spread Christianity and European culture, often with devastating consequences for indigenous peoples.

Portuguese and Spanish Expeditions of the 15th Century

Portuguese Exploration of Africa

• Portugal began exploring the west coast of Africa in the early 15th century, gradually moving further south in search of a sea route to Asia
• Key expeditions included Dias rounding the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, the southernmost point of Africa
• In 1497-1499, Vasco da Gama led the first Portuguese voyage around Africa to India, opening up direct trade with Asia
• Portuguese explorers established fortified trading posts along the African coast (Elmina, Mozambique) rather than large colonies

Spanish Voyages to the Americas

• Christopher Columbus, sponsored by Spain, made four voyages to the Americas between 1492-1504
  • Landed in the Bahamas, Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic), and the South American coast
  • Voyages marked the beginning of the European exploration and colonization of the Americas
• Spanish explorers focused on finding gold and silver and establishing colonial empires in the Americas
  • Conquered and colonized the Aztec (Mexico) and Inca (Peru) empires
  • Sent settlers to establish permanent colonies in the Caribbean and mainland Americas
• Pedro Álvares Cabral claimed Brazil for Portugal in 1500 after being blown off course on a voyage to India

Division of the World

• The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas divided the world outside Europe between Portugal and Spain
  • Portugal gained rights to Africa, Asia and eastern South America (Brazil)
  • Spain received the western Atlantic and most of the Americas
• Reflected the dominance of Portugal and Spain as the leading maritime powers of the 15th-16th centuries

Henry the Navigator and Christopher Columbus

Prince Henry the Navigator

• Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394-1460) sponsored and directed many early Portuguese voyages of exploration along the African coast
  • Established a navigation school and observatory at Sagres to train navigators and improve maritime technology
  • While he did not actually go on the voyages, his patronage was vital to early Portuguese exploration
  • Under his direction, Portuguese ships reached as far as Sierra Leone and gathered extensive knowledge of Atlantic wind patterns and currents

Christopher Columbus

• Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian navigator who made four Spanish-sponsored voyages across the Atlantic, leading to European awareness of the American continents
  • Sought a western route to Asia but instead landed in the Bahamas, Hispaniola, and South America
  • Voyages marked the beginning of the European exploration and colonization of the Americas
  • Served as governor of Hispaniola but faced criticism for his brutal treatment of indigenous people and poor governance
• Columbus's voyages were a watershed event in world history, beginning an era of European dominance in the Americas

Other Key Explorers

• Vasco da Gama (c. 1460s-1524) was a Portuguese explorer who led the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India in 1497-1499, going around Africa
  • Voyage began Portuguese dominance of the Indian Ocean trade in spices and other luxury goods
  • Established Portuguese trading posts and alliances in India (Calicut, Cochin) and East Africa (Mozambique, Mombasa)
• Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480-1521) was a Portuguese explorer who led the first European expedition to circumnavigate the globe in 1519-1522, sailing for Spain
  • Discovered the strait at the southern tip of South America (Strait of Magellan) and named the Pacific Ocean
  • Killed in the Philippines but one of his ships completed the journey, proving the Earth was round

Portuguese vs Spanish Exploration

Portuguese Exploration

• Portuguese explorers focused on finding a sea route to Asia for direct trade in spices and other luxury goods
  • Systematically explored the African coast before rounding it to reach India
  • Established fortified trading posts (feitorias) rather than large colonies
  • Main goal was to control trade routes and extract tribute, not territorial conquest
• Portugal had a long tradition of maritime exploration dating back to the early 15th century
  • Developed advanced navigation techniques (compass, astrolabe) and ship designs (caravel)
  • Had support from the monarchy, especially under Prince Henry the Navigator

Spanish Exploration

• Spanish explorers, after Columbus, were more focused on finding gold and silver and establishing colonial empires in the Americas
  • Conquered and colonized the Aztec (Mexico) and Inca (Peru) empires
  • Sent settlers to establish permanent colonies in the Caribbean and mainland Americas
  • Main goal was territorial control and resource extraction through forced labor of indigenous people
• Spain became involved in overseas exploration later than Portugal but quickly became its rival
  • Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand financed Columbus's voyages in search of a western route to Asia
  • Conquistadors like Cortés and Pizarro led private expeditions of conquest with support from the Crown

Similarities and Differences

• Both Portuguese and Spanish explorers were motivated by the desire for profit and to spread Christianity
  • Saw exploration as a crusade against Islam and an opportunity to convert indigenous peoples
  • Used advanced navigation techniques and ships (caravels, galleons) developed in Iberia
• Portugal and Spain were the leading maritime powers of the 15th-16th centuries and the sponsors of most early voyages of exploration
  • Their overseas empires made them the wealthiest and most powerful European countries
  • Other countries like England, France and the Netherlands soon followed their lead
• Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) divided the world outside Europe between Portugal and Spain to prevent conflict
  • Portugal focused on Africa and Asia, Spain on the Americas (except Brazil)
  • But both countries established global empires with territories in multiple continents

Consequences of Early Iberian Voyages

Economic and Political Impact on Europe

• The Portuguese voyages around Africa to Asia broke the Venetian/Muslim monopoly on Indian Ocean trade, shifting power and wealth to Portugal and later other Atlantic European states
  • Portugal dominated the spice trade in the 16th century, with outposts from East Africa to Indonesia
  • Portuguese merchants sold Asian goods at high prices in Europe, making huge profits
• Portugal and Spain became the wealthiest countries in Europe in the 16th century due to profits from Asian spices and American silver
  • Spain imported massive amounts of silver from mines in Mexico and Peru
  • The influx of wealth began a shift in power to Western Europe and fueled a price revolution (inflation)
• The European voyages began the Columbian Exchange - a global transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases and ideas between the Old World and the New
  • American crops like maize, potatoes, and tomatoes later spread to Europe, Africa and Asia, improving diets
  • Eurasian livestock (cattle, pigs, horses) and crops (wheat, sugarcane) were introduced to the Americas

Impact on Indigenous Societies

• The Spanish conquests in the Americas destroyed the Aztec and Inca empires, the two most powerful indigenous states
  • Replaced indigenous religions and cultures with Spanish Catholic culture through conversion and colonization
  • Established colonial societies based on Spanish rule and forced indigenous labor (encomienda system)
• The Portuguese and Spanish brought new crops and animals to the Americas, dramatically changing the environment and indigenous ways of life
  • Plantation agriculture (sugar, tobacco) and ranching disrupted traditional farming and hunting practices
  • European animals (pigs, horses) damaged native ecosystems and competed with indigenous fauna
• European diseases brought to the Americas (smallpox, measles, influenza) caused devastating epidemics and a massive population decline among Native American peoples
  • Indigenous populations lacked immunity to these new diseases
  • Estimated 80-90% population decline in the century after contact, making it easier for Europeans to conquer and colonize