Portugal and Spain

Paper Summary:

The focus of this paper is on Portuguese explorer, Prince Henry the Navigator, and the tools and techniques he introduced to his sailors, which revolutionized sailing and furthered exploration more than anyone else had up to that point.

From the Paper:

The Portuguese are an adventurous people, and Henry knew that if he could just capitalize on this, he could drive his sailors to go farther and do more than anyone else had up to that point. From the Muslims, "[the Portuguese] had learned better ship design, cartography, sailing, and navigation and math skills (European Age of Exploration)." To that end, Henry established an observatory and the first school for navigators in Sagres, Portugal, where he lived. Before the sailors could be taught anything new, however, Henry had to work to convince them that their fears would not come to pass. "Expeditions moved slowly due to the [sailors'] belief that waters at the equator were at the boiling point, that human skin turned black, and that sea monsters would engulf ships (Mariner's Museum)."

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