Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry the Navigator is a very interesting man. He accomplished a lot in life. He opened up schools and much more. He became many things. He trained others how to become a person like him. He encouraged others to do well and to believe themselves. He discovered parts of the world that were unknown to others. He did things that people thought he could never do. Prince Henry is a very interesting man and I hope you gain knowledge about Prince Henry the navigator!
Prince Henry (Henrique) the Navigator was born in 1394. Prince Henry the Navigator was a Portuguese regal prince, a patron of explorers and a soldier. He accomplished many things. He sailed on numerous expeditions down Africa’s west coast. He sailed his expeditions with his crew not by himself. Thanks to Prince Henry the Navigator Portuguese ships were now able to go to the Madeira Islands (Joao Goncalves Zarco, 1420), rounded Cape Bojador (Eannes, 1434), sailed to Cape Blanc (Nuno Tristao, 1441), sailed around Cap Vert (1455), and went as far-off as Gambia River (Cadamosto, 1456) and Cape Palmas (Gomes, 1459-1460). These were voyages of Prince Henry the Navigator and his crew. These expeditions were significant because they needed well created maps of the West African coast to defeat the Muslims, to spread Christianity more places and to establish trade routes.
Prince Henry the Navigator was the third son of King John of Portugal and his English wife Philippa of Lancaster. When Henry was 21 years old, his father, his bothers and he attacked the Moslem port of Ceutha in north Morocco (in Africa, across the Mediterranean Sea). Due to this victorious attack Henry was inspired to explore Africa. This was unfamiliar to the Europeans. In about 1418 Prince Henry opened up a navigation school. This school trained people in navigation, science and map-making in arrange to sail downward the west of Africa.
At Henrys time there was no European who sailed past the unfaithful Cape Bojador and returned living. In this area there are perilous storms. Europeans called the ocean further than this end the “Sea of Darkness.” Many sailors don’t want to go there due to these violent storms. Prince Henry sent 14 expeditions over the next 12 years. He tried going past Cape Bojador. Prince Henry convinced Gil Eannes to try going farther than Cape Bojador. And he succeeded 1434. In 1458 Henry sent a man named Diogo Gomes on an expedition that was the last expedition Henry held. He died in 1460 the year the expedition returned.
Prince Henry was very interesting. Unfortunately he died in 1460. He encouraged many others to sail. He taught people how to sail etc. He held many expeditions. He discovered parts of the world that was not yet discovered. He and his crew sailed down Cape Bojador which was not yet sailed down. He was very interesting and sophisticated. I hope you have learned a lot in this essay. Thank you!
