Prince Henry

Introduction

Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese explorer, soldier and prince. Although Prince Henry rarely participated in explorations, he sent many expeditions from Portugal to the west coast of Africa, and was responsible for Portugal's influence in the Great Age of Exploration. Because of Prince Henry, Portuguese explorers were the first to sail to Africa's Gambia River.

Exploring the West African Coast

Prince Henry sponsored explorations that accomplished much for Portugal. Not only did his expeditions succeed in mapping much of the coast of west-Africa, but they also succeeded in spreading Christianity, defeating Muslims (enemies of the Portuguese at the time), and establishing new trade routes. Prince Henry's primary motivation, however, for exploring the west coast of Africa was to see how far Muslim lands extended to the south (to defeat them), and to find the legendary Christian empire of the priest-king Prester-John (who didn't actually exist). In 1419, Prince Henry started the first school of navigation at Sagres, Portugal. The goal of the school was to train people in navigation, map-making and science to prepare them to sail around the west coast of Africa.

Prince Henry the Navigator's Route

Legacy of Prince Henry's School of Navigation

Prince Henry's school of navigation resulted in a breakthrough for Portuguese navigation. Before Prince Henry, sailors and navigators refused to sail toward Africa. They were scared of sea monsters and boiling water near the equator. In fact, no sailor had ever sailed into the "Sea of Darkness", which the Portuguese considered to be any part of the ocean south of 27 degrees north latitude (about Cape Bojador). Prince Henry's school sent 14 expeditions into "The Sea of Darkness". Prince Henry himself even convinced some explorers to go further south. Prince Henry's influence was the first step in finding the vaunted sea route to the Indies.

Discussion Questions

  1. Who was Prince Henry the Navigator, and what was his role in exploration?
  2. Why did Prince Henry want to explore the west coast of Africa?
  3. What was the purpose of Prince Henry’s school of navigation?
  4. How did Prince Henry’s efforts help change people’s beliefs about sailing?

Introduction

Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese prince, soldier, and explorer. Although he did not go on many voyages himself, he sent many expeditions to explore the west coast of Africa. Thanks to his efforts, Portugal became a leader in the Age of Exploration, and Portuguese explorers were the first to sail to the Gambia River in Africa.

Exploring the West African Coast

Prince Henry sponsored many important voyages. These trips helped map the west coast of Africa, spread Christianity, and open new trade routes. He also hoped to learn how far Muslim lands reached and to find a legendary Christian kingdom ruled by a man named Prester John, who was believed to live in Africa (but wasn’t real). In 1419, Prince Henry started a school of navigation in Sagres, Portugal, to teach people about sailing, map-making, and science.

Legacy of Prince Henry’s School

Before Prince Henry, many sailors were afraid to sail south toward Africa. They believed myths about sea monsters and boiling water near the equator. Prince Henry's school trained explorers to go beyond these fears. His school sent 14 expeditions into what was then called the "Sea of Darkness"—any part of the ocean south of 27° north latitude. His work helped pave the way for future explorers to find sea routes to Asia.

Prince Henry Activities