Voyages of Discovery.

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VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY

There was a growing desire to find routes to the east during the middle of the 1400’s because the previous routes were either unsafe or blocked off. The eastern countries played a key role in the trade industry contributing with gold and the spices essential for flavoring and preserving food. The Mongol Empire collapsed which made most routes to the East unsafe to travel. Also during this time, Constantinople was taken over by a group called the Ottoman Turks, who blocked the train routes to the East and denied access to the majority of merchants. This is when people realized that they needed to find another route to get to the East. From here people took another option, the sea. If they could find a route to get past Africa then they could reach India by ship. This is how the art of navigation evolved.

During the mid 1400’s, long voyages at sea became possible as a result of improvements in technology for both the ships and the navigation process. At this crucial time, most sailors had the same aim – to find a new trade route, by sea, from Europe to India and other Eastern countries. To do this they had to sail past Africa, which required the improvements in ship and navigation technology. In this field, Portugal lead the way as it was ideally located on the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea as well as being experienced with the rough seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Here, new ships were being designed and instruments were being updated. One of the men who led this revolution was Prince Henry the navigator.

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Prince Henry, The Navigator’s aim was to teach others and pass on his expertise in shipping. From here he formed crews to sail to India and the Far East, circumnavigating Africa. Henry hired navigators, cartographers and sailors to aid him with teaching and planning his voyages. Not only did he want to reach the East for much-needed spices, the people settled here didn’t have a religion therefore wanted to spread Christianity before others were able to do the same. Prince Henry never went on any voyages, he just planned them. During 1444-1446 his development intensified and sent over 30 ...

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