chapter 20
What development accidentally forced Europeans to turn to the sea
page 146
The blocking of traditional land trade routes by hostile forces.
What Portuguese royal never went on an exploratory voyage himself, but systematically organized the era of modern sea exploration?
page 159-160
prince Henry
What terrifying geographic landmark served as a massive psychological barrier for sailors due to myths of sea monsters and boiling waters?
page 166
Cape Bojador.
Why were highly detailed Christian "cosmos maps" practically useless to working sea captains?
page 149
They were focused on faith, scripture, and cosmic symbolism rather than actual locations and navigation facts.
Where did Prince Henry establish his coastal maritime center for cartography, navigation, and shipbuilding?
page 161
Sagres.
Which Portuguese explorer finally shattered the myths by rounding Cape Bojador in 1434?
page 166-167
Gil Eannes
What practical coastal charts did medieval mariners invent to help navigate point to point?
page 149
Portolano charts
What lightweight, highly maneuverable type of ship did the Portuguese invent to allow exploration into the wind and safe returns?
page 163
The caravel
In 1444, what tragic and dark enterprise did Antão Gonçalves initiate in Lagos that fundamentally shifted European-African relations?
page 167
The West African slave trade.
What ancient geographer's work was revived and revised during this period, reintroducing concepts like latitude and longitude?
page 149
Ptolemy
Unlike Christopher Columbus, who acted on established theories, what primarily drove Portuguese expeditions down the coast of Africa?
Speculative geography, rumors, and systematic empirical data collection.
How did the arrival of enslaved human cargo affect public opinion toward Prince Henry's costly expeditions?
page 167-168
Critics became supporters because they realized exploration could be highly profitable.
What famous 1459 map challenged prevailing ideas by accurately depicting Africa as a peninsula that could be sailed around?
page 154
Fra Mauro's map
What crucial administrative rule did Prince Henry enforce on his captains to build a cumulative library of geographical knowledge?
page 162
He required them to keep detailed logbooks and charts of their findings.
Under Prince Henry’s nephew, King Alfonso V, exploration was privatized. What merchant was given a trade monopoly in 1469 in exchange for exploring 300 miles of coast every year?
page 168
Fernão Gomes.