Henry the Navigator

Prince Henry the Navigator's Accomplishments

While Henry was not a sailor, explorer, or navigator, he was a patron to people who were. Henry hired capable mathematicians, mariners, astronomers, ship designers, map makers, and navigators to innovate sailing equipment. Henry's sponsored voyages rediscovered African coastal islands, and Henry's patrons were some of the first Europeans to establish trade with some African tribes.

Innovations to Seafaring

Henry's team modified the compass, hourglass, astrolabe, and the quadrant to work at sea. An astrolabe was a device used by the Ancient Greeks to tell the time and locate stars. Henry's explorers used it to locate stars that could pinpoint where they were. Sailors used the quadrant to find latitude and longitude on maps.

One of their chief inventions was the caravel ship–probably based on a Muslim design. This small ship was easier to maneuver, making it perfect for sailing around the African coast. It also had lateen sails. These sails were triangular shaped instead of the usual square. The triangular shape of the sail allowed it to sail against the wind!

Alongside wanting riches for Portugal, Henry wanted to spread Christianity. Even though Henry was very religious, he still hired Jewish and Muslim people to work on his team of innovators. This team was based in Sagres on the Southern coast of Portugal.

Sponsored Voyages

Henry's sponsored voyages rediscovered some coastal islands off of Africa. During his lifetime, colonists explored around 15,000 miles of coastal Africa on behalf of the Portuguese. These explorers were searching for fabled rivers of gold, the tower of Babylon, the Fountain of Youth, and mythical kingdoms.

While the explorers found none of that, they did "discover" the island chains of Azores and Madeira. These islands acted as stepping stones for further African exploration. Ships could stop at these islands, restock and continue their voyages.

The most consequential island discovery was the Cape Verde Islands. The Portuguese colonized these islands, thus creating the blueprint for the colonization of the Americas. The Cape Verde Islands were added to the stepping stones restock chain and played a significant role when Europeans traveled the New World.

Henry the Navigator and Slavery

Henry's voyages were expensive. While Portugal was selling some African spices, this did not cover the cost of exploration. Henry wanted something more profitable. In 1441 Henry's captains began to capture Africans living in Cape Bianco.

One of the men captured was a chief who spoke Arabic. This chief negotiated freedom for himself and his son in exchange for ten other people. Their captors brought them home in 1442, and the Portuguese ships returned with ten more enslaved persons and gold dust.

Portugal had now entered the slave trade and would remain a large slave market until the decline of the slave trade. The churches did not agree. After all, many of the newly enslaved people were Christian Africans or had converted to Christianity. In 1455, Pope Nicholas V limited the slave trade to Portugal, and that slavery would Christianize the "uncivilized" Africans.

Henry the Navigator's Contributions

After the death of Henry the Navigator on November 3, 1460, his legacy grew beyond explorational goals.

Henry's contributions allowed Bartholomew Dias to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, Africa, in 1488. Many sailors were too afraid to attempt this because they thought it meant certain death. The currents around the cape would push boats backwards. The ambitious Diaz sailed around the cape and returned to Portugal to inform the then King, John II.

In May of 1498, Vasco de Gama sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to India. This was the first time a European had made this voyage. Henry the Navigator's original goal was to find a route via sea that would eliminate the need to go through the Mediterranean or the Middle East.