Notes for Portuguese Exploration of Africa - IB | RevisionDojo
Portuguese Exploration of Africa Notes
Portuguese Exploration of the West Coast of Africa
The Portuguese West African voyages laid the foundation for both the Atlantic slave trade and later global empires.
Under Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese ships sailed steadily further down Africa’s west coast.
Early expeditions focused on mapping coastlines, establishing contact, and probing trade opportunities.
Voyages expanded into systematic trade in gold, ivory, and enslaved Africans.
Significance
Direct access to African gold reduced reliance on Saharan trade routes controlled by Muslim and Italian merchants.
Portuguese demand for labor on Atlantic sugar plantations (Madeira, São Tomé) initiated the transatlantic slave trade.
Trading posts such as Elmina (built 1482 in modern-day Ghana) became centers of European-African commerce and later colonial control.
Case study
Elmina Castle ensured royal control over the fast-growing gold trade.
It secured Lisbon’s direct link to African resources.
Initially, Elmina served as a commercial hub but later became instrumental in Portuguese voyages around Africa.
Held enslaved Africans for sale to Europe and the Americas.
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What did the Portuguese West African voyages lay the foundation for?
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Note
The Age of Exploration was a period from the 15th to 17th centuries when European powers embarked on maritime expeditions to discover new trade routes and territories. This era marked a significant shift in global interactions and commerce.
The primary motivation was to find alternative routes to Asia for spices and other valuable goods
Advances in navigation technology, such as the astrolabe and improved maps, made long-distance sea travel possible
European nations competed fiercely for dominance in exploration and trade
AnalogyThink of the Age of Exploration as the 'Space Race' of its time, with European powers competing to discover and claim new territories across the globe.
NoteThe Portuguese were pioneers in this era, thanks to their strategic location and maritime expertise.
