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46-499: The islands of Cape Verde were discovered in 1444 by Prince Henry the Navigator (Son of King John I) and Antonio Noli, in the service of Henry's relative King Afonso V . The southeastern islands, including the largest island Santiago , were discovered in 1460 by António de Noli and Diogo Gomes . The remaining northwestern islands São Nicolau , São Vicente and Santo Antão were discovered in 1461 or 1462 by Diogo Afonso . There

92-548: A misconception. He did employ some cartographers to chart the coast of Mauritania after the voyages he sent there, but there was no center of navigation science or observatory in the modern sense of the word, nor was there an organized navigational center. Referring to Sagres, sixteenth-century Portuguese mathematician and cosmographer Pedro Nunes remarked, "from it our sailors went out well taught and provided with instruments and rules which all map makers and navigators should know." The view that Henry's court rapidly grew into

138-580: A monopoly on tuna fishing in the Algarve . When Edward died eight years later, Henry supported his brother Peter, Duke of Coimbra for the regency during the minority of Edward's son Afonso V , and in return received a confirmation of this levy. Henry functioned as a primary organizer of the disastrous expedition to Tangier in 1437 against Çala Ben Çala, which ended in Henry's younger brother Ferdinand being given as hostage to guarantee Portuguese promises in

184-773: A reputation of loyalty to Lisbon. 14°55′N 23°31′W  /  14.92°N 23.51°W  / 14.92; -23.51 15th century 16th century 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 16th century 17th century 15th century 16th century Portuguese India 17th century Portuguese India 18th century Portuguese India 16th century 17th century 19th century Portuguese Macau 20th century Portuguese Macau 15th century [Atlantic islands] 16th century [Canada] 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century Prince Henry

230-658: A storm while making the volta do mar westward swing to return to Portugal. They found shelter at an island they named Porto Santo . Henry directed that Porto Santo be colonized. The move to claim the Madeiran islands was probably a response to Castile 's efforts to claim the Canary Islands. In 1420, settlers then moved to the nearby island of Madeira . A chart drawn by the Catalan cartographer, Gabriel de Vallseca of Mallorca , has been interpreted to indicate that

276-896: Is depicted in the Monument of the Discoveries located in Lisbon, featured in the front of the monument. In 1994, the Prince Henry Society in conjunction with the Portuguese government gifted Prince Henry the Navigator Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Famine in Cape Verde The archipelago of Cape Verde has been struck by a series of drought-related famines between the 1580s and

322-564: Is no evidence of human settlement on Cape Verde prior to the arrival of the Portuguese. In 1462, the Portuguese founded the town of Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha ) on the south coast of Santiago. The settlement became a key port of call for Portuguese colonisation in both Africa and South America. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was a centre of maritime trade of points among Africa, the Cape of Good Hope , Brazil in South America, and

368-535: The Sargassum seaweed growing there ( sargaço / sargasso in Portuguese). In 1424 Cape Bojador was the most southerly point known to Europeans on the west coast of Africa. For centuries, superstitious seafarers held that beyond the cape lay sea monsters and the edge of the world. However, Prince Henry was determined to know the truth. He was persistent and sent 15 expeditions over a ten-year period to pass

414-607: The Age of Discovery . Henry was the fourth child of King John I of Portugal , who founded the House of Aviz . After procuring the new caravel ship, Henry was responsible for the early development of Portuguese exploration and maritime trade with other continents through the systematic exploration of Western Africa, the islands of the Atlantic Ocean , and the search for new routes. He encouraged his father to conquer Ceuta (1415),

460-523: The Bay of Arguin in 1443 and built an important "forte-feitoria" (a fort protecting a trading post) on the island of Arguin around the year 1448. Dinis Dias soon came across the Senegal River and rounded the peninsula of Cap-Vert in 1444. By this stage the explorers had passed the southern boundary of the desert, and from then on Henry had one of his wishes fulfilled: the Portuguese had circumvented

506-675: The Canary Islands , which the Portuguese had claimed to have discovered before the year 1346. In 1425, his second brother the Infante Peter, Duke of Coimbra , made a diplomatic tour of Europe, with an additional charge from Henry to seek out geographic material. Peter returned with a current world map from Venice. In 1431, Henry donated houses for the Estudo Geral to teach all the sciences—grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, music, and astronomy—in what would later become

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552-1216: The Caribbean . Due to its proximity to the African coast, it was an essential platform for the Atlantic trade of enslaved Africans . Other early Portuguese settlements were São Filipe on the island of Fogo (between 1470 and 1490), Praia on Santiago (before 1516), Ribeira Grande on Santo Antão (mid 16th century), and Ribeira Brava on São Nicolau (1653). Between 1492 and 1497, Manuel I of Portugal exiled thousands of conversos , Jews forced to accept baptism and conversion to Christianity but considered suspect, to São Tomé , Príncipe , and Cape Verde. They were allowed to engage in trade. Free-lance traders were referred to as lançados , who were often, but not always, of Jewish origin. Most married or had unions with African women, creating close trade ties with their families and clans. The riches of Ribeira Grande and conflicts between Portugal and rival colonial powers France and Britain attracted pirate attacks, including those by Francis Drake ( 1585 ) and Jacques Cassard ( 1712 ). Despite

598-763: The Muslim port on the North African coast across the Straits of Gibraltar from the Iberian Peninsula . He learned of the opportunity offered by the Saharan trade routes that terminated there, and became fascinated with Africa in general; he was most intrigued by the Christian legend of Prester John and the expansion of Portuguese trade. He is regarded as the patron of Portuguese exploration . Henry

644-492: The University of Lisbon . For other subjects like medicine or philosophy, he ordered that each room should be decorated according to the subject taught. Henry also had other resources. When John I died in 1433, Henry's eldest brother Edward of Portugal became king. He granted Henry all profits from trading within the areas he discovered as well as the sole right to authorize expeditions beyond Cape Bojador . Henry also held

690-501: The 1950s. During these periods of drought and famine, tens of thousands of inhabitants died from starvation and diseases. The Cape Verde islands have a generally hot semi-arid climate , with rainfall mostly limited to the months August and September. The driest areas are the low eastern islands ( Maio , Sal and Boa Vista ), and the southwestern parts of the more mountainous islands. The higher and northeastern, windward parts receive more precipitation. Agriculture strongly depends on

736-721: The April 1974 Carnation Revolution . In August 1974, an agreement was signed in Algiers between the Portuguese government and the PAIGC, recognising the independence of Guinea-Bissau and the right to independence of Cape Verde. On 5 July 1975, at Praia, Portugal's Prime Minister Vasco Gonçalves turned over power to National Assembly President Abílio Duarte , and Cape Verde became independent. Cape Verde Islanders had higher educational levels and were often appointed to low-level administrative posts in Portuguese territories. Thereby they acquired

782-631: The Azores and the Cape Verde Islands. They used the harbours of Brava to stock up on supplies and drinking water. They hired men from Brava as sailors, and several of these settled around the Massachusetts whaling port of New Bedford . The exploitation of salt on the island of Sal took a rise from around 1800. The port city of Mindelo grew rapidly after 1838, when a coal depot was established to supply ships on Atlantic routes. In

828-564: The Azores were first discovered by Diogo de Silves in 1427. In 1431, Gonçalo Velho was dispatched with orders to determine the location of "islands" first identified by de Silves. Velho apparently got as far as the Formigas , in the eastern archipelago, before having to return to Sagres, probably due to bad weather. By this time the Portuguese navigators had also reached the Sargasso Sea (western North Atlantic region), naming it after

874-462: The Canary Islands and the lack of investment in port infrastructure. Due to its generally dry climate, Cape Verde has been struck by a series of drought-related famines between the 1580s and the 1950s. Two of Cape Verde's worst-ever famines occurred in 1941–43 and 1947–48, killing an estimated 45,000 people. Several thousands of islanders emigrated, for instance accepting contract labour on the cocoa plantations of Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe . In

920-532: The Muslim land-based trade routes across the western Sahara Desert , and slaves and gold began arriving in Portugal. This rerouting of trade devastated Algiers and Tunis, but made Portugal rich. By 1452, the influx of gold permitted the minting of Portugal's first gold cruzado coins. A cruzado was equal to 400 reis at the time. From 1444 to 1446, as many as forty vessels sailed from Lagos on Henry's behalf, and

966-584: The Navigator Dom Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( Portuguese : Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador ), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15th-century European maritime discoveries and maritime expansion. Through his administrative direction, he is regarded as the main initiator of what would be known as

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1012-534: The Navigator repopulated a village that he called Terçanabal (from terça nabal or tercena nabal ). This village was situated in a strategic position for his maritime enterprises and was later called Vila do Infante ("Estate or Town of the Prince"). It is traditionally suggested that Henry gathered at his villa on the Sagres peninsula a school of navigators and map-makers . However modern historians hold this to be

1058-528: The capture of Ceuta in 1415. Henry was interested in locating the source of the caravans that brought gold to the city. During the reign of his father, John I, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira were sent to explore along the African coast. Zarco, a knight in service to Prince Henry, had commanded the caravels guarding the coast of Algarve from the incursions of the Moors . He had also been at Ceuta. In 1418, Zarco and Teixeira were blown off-course by

1104-526: The coast of Africa, most of which was unknown to Europeans. His objectives included finding the source of the West African gold trade and the legendary Christian kingdom of Prester John , and stopping the pirate attacks on the Portuguese coast. At that time, the cargo ships of the Mediterranean were too slow and heavy to undertake such voyages. Under Henry's direction, a new and much lighter ship

1150-426: The construction of Forte Real de São Filipe in 1587-93, Ribeira Grande remained vulnerable and went into decline. The capital was moved to Praia in 1770. The eruption of the volcano Pico do Fogo in 1680 covered much of the island of Fogo in ash, which forced many inhabitants to flee to the nearby island of Brava . From the end of the 18th century, whaling ships from North America started hunting whales around

1196-552: The course of the 19th century, the Plateau of Praia was completely redeveloped with streets according to a grid plan , lined with grand colonial buildings and mansions. Slavery was abolished in Cape Verde in 1876. From the beginning of the 20th century the port of Mindelo lost its importance for transatlantic navigation. Causes for this were the shift from coal to oil as fuel for ships, the rise of competing ports like Dakar and

1242-464: The credit. By 1462, the Portuguese had explored the coast of Africa as far as present-day Sierra Leone . Twenty-eight years later, Bartolomeu Dias proved that Africa could be circumnavigated when he reached the southern tip of the continent, now known as the Cape of Good Hope . In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European sailor to reach India by sea. No one used the nickname "Henry the Navigator" to refer to Prince Henry during his lifetime or in

1288-503: The cultural norms established during Portuguese rule prioritized this familiar crop over more ecologically appropriate and drought-resistant millet and sorghum varieties common in West Africa. The following famines have been recorded: Two of Cape Verde's worst-ever famines occurred in 1941-43 and 1947-48, killing an estimated 45,000 people. The hardest hit were the islands of São Nicolau and Fogo , where resp. 28% and 31% of

1334-425: The dreaded Cape. Each returned unsuccessful. The captains gave various excuses for having failed. Finally, in 1434 Gil Eanes , the commander of one of Henry's expeditions, became the first known European to pass Cape Bojador since Hanno almost two millennium before. Using the new ship type, the expeditions then pushed onwards. Nuno Tristão and Antão Gonçalves reached Cape Blanco in 1441. The Portuguese sighted

1380-470: The establishment of morgados , large landed estates handed down to a single heir. This left much of Cape Verde's population renting or sharecropping, with little incentive to improve their lands for better drought resistance. The colonial administration also promoted cash crops such as coffee , sugar , and cotton in irrigated lands rather than food crops. Corn was and is the primary grain grown. It requires far more rain than Cabo Verde usually receives, but

1426-552: The first private mercantile expeditions began. Alvise Cadamosto explored the Atlantic coast of Africa and discovered several islands of the Cape Verde archipelago between 1453 and 1456. In his first voyage, which started on 22 March 1455, he visited the Madeira Islands and the Canary Islands. On the second voyage, in 1456, Cadamosto became the first European to reach the Cape Verde Islands. António Noli later claimed

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1472-417: The following three centuries. The term was coined by two nineteenth-century German historians: Heinrich Schaefer and Gustave de Veer. Later on it was made popular by two British authors who included it in the titles of their biographies of the prince: Henry Major in 1868 and Raymond Beazley in 1895. Contrary to his brothers, Prince Henry was not praised for his intellectual gifts by his contemporaries. It

1518-569: The latter at the Prince's court "probably accounts for the legend of the School of Sagres, which is now discredited." Henry sponsored voyages, collecting a 20% tax ( o quinto ) on profits, the usual practice in the Iberian states at the time. The nearby port of Lagos provided a convenient home port for these expeditions. The voyages were made in very small ships, mostly the caravel , a light and maneuverable vessel equipped by lateen sails. Most of

1564-767: The lead-up to and during the Portuguese Colonial War , those planning and fighting in the armed conflict in Portuguese Guinea often linked the goal of liberation of Guinea-Bissau to the goal of liberation in Cape Verde. For instance, in 1956, Amílcar and Luís Cabral founded the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). However, there was no armed conflict in Cape Verde, and ultimately independence for Cape Verde resulted from negotiation with Portugal after

1610-620: The peace agreement. The Portuguese Cortes refused to return Ceuta as ransom for Ferdinand, who remained in captivity until his death six years later. Prince Regent Peter supported Portuguese maritime expansion in the Atlantic Ocean and Africa, and Henry promoted the colonization of the Azores during Peter's regency (1439–1448). For most of the latter part of his life, Henry concentrated on his maritime activities and court politics. According to João de Barros , in Algarve , Prince Henry

1656-524: The population was killed. In 1946-48, Santiago lost 65% of its population. Several thousands of islanders emigrated, for instance accepting contract labour on the cocoa plantations of Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe . Between 1900 and 1970, about 80,000 Cape Verdeans were shipped to São Tomé and Príncipe. The Estado Novo government of Portugal showed little interest in its African colony, and failed to take measures to improve access to fresh water, or supply food aid. Fome 47 ("Famine of 47"), one of

1702-650: The province of the Algarve . On May 25, 1420, Henry gained appointment as the Governor of the Military Order of Christ , the Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar , which had its headquarters at Tomar in central Portugal. Henry held this position for the remainder of his life, and the Order was an important source of funds for Henry's ambitious plans, especially his persistent attempts to conquer

1748-533: The returning westerlies in the mid-Atlantic. This was a major step in the history of navigation , when an understanding of oceanic wind patterns was crucial to Atlantic navigation, from Africa and the open ocean to Europe, and enabled the main route between the New World and Europe in the North Atlantic in future voyages of discovery. Although the lateen sail allowed sailing upwind to some extent, it

1794-511: The same period of the royal couple's residence in the city of Porto. Henry was 21 when he, his father and brothers captured the Moorish port of Ceuta in northern Morocco . Ceuta had long been a base for Barbary pirates who raided the Portuguese coast, depopulating villages by capturing their inhabitants to be sold in the African slave trade . Following this success, Henry began to explore

1840-456: The summer rains, which are highly variable; in years with less rain, crop failure was common. In addition, rains tend to come in a few large events in which most water runs off into the ocean, creating erosion rather than replenishing the water table. The situation was further aggravated by unsuitable crop choice, overpopulation, overgrazing and inadequate response from the Portuguese colonial administration. Portuguese colonial policy favored

1886-412: The technological base for exploration, with a naval arsenal and an observatory, etc., although repeated in popular culture, has never been established. Henry did possess geographical curiosity, and employed cartographers. Jehuda Cresques , a noted cartographer , has been said to have accepted an invitation to come to Portugal to make maps for the infante. Prestage makes the argument that the presence of

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1932-412: The voyages sent out by Henry consisted of one or two ships that navigated by following the coast, stopping at night to tie up along some shore. During Prince Henry's time and after, the Portuguese navigators discovered and perfected the North Atlantic volta do mar (the "turn of the sea" or "return from the sea"): the dependable pattern of trade winds blowing largely from the east near the equator and

1978-587: Was developed, the caravel , which could sail farther and faster. Above all, it was highly maneuverable and could sail " into the wind ", making it largely independent of the prevailing winds. The caravel used the lateen sail , the prevailing rig in Christian Mediterranean navigation since late antiquity. With this ship, Portuguese mariners freely explored uncharted waters around the Atlantic, from rivers and shallow waters to transoceanic voyages. In 1419, Henry's father appointed him governor of

2024-443: Was only later chroniclers such as João de Barros and Damião de Góis who attributed him a scholarly character and an interest for cosmography . The myth of the " Sagres school " allegedly founded by Prince Henry was created in the 18th century, mainly by Samuel Purchas and Abbé Prévost . In nineteenth-century Portugal, the idealized vision of Prince Henry as a putative pioneer of exploration and science reached its apogee. Henry

2070-569: Was the third surviving son of King John I and his wife Philippa , sister of King Henry IV of England . He was baptized in Porto , and may have been born there, probably when the royal couple was living in the city's old mint , now called Casa do Infante (Prince's House), or in the region nearby. Another possibility is that he was born at the Monastery of Leça do Balio, in Leça da Palmeira , during

2116-581: Was worth even major extensions of course to have a faster and calmer following wind for most of a journey. Portuguese mariners who sailed south and southwest towards the Canary Islands and West Africa would afterwards sail far to the northwest—that is, away from continental Portugal, and seemingly in the wrong direction—before turning northeast near the Azores islands and finally east to Europe in order to have largely following winds for their full journey. Christopher Columbus used this on his transatlantic voyages. The first explorations followed not long after

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