Prince Henry Influence On Portugal

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Prince Henry was VERY influential towards the exploration and expansion of Portugal (Portuguese). Portugal is a southern European country that borders Spain. He was born on the March 4th, 1394 in Porto, Portugal. Porto is a coastal city that is located in northwest Portugal. It is mainly known for its stately bridges and port wine production. His full name is Henry, Prince of Portugal, Duke of Viseu Lord of Covilhã. Henry was the 3rd son of King John I and Phillipa of Lancaster. From 1385 to 1433, John was King of Portugal and the Algarve. He was known as “the Good” and “of Happy Memory.” From 1387 to 1414, Phillipa was Queen of Portugal, being the wife of King John. Henry was a 15th century Prince, soldier, and explorer. He passed away on …show more content…

At the school, people were trained in navigation, map making, and science. His school that he created, sent 14 expeditions into the Sea of Darkness. The Sea of Darkness is what the Portuguese calls any part of the ocean that is south of 27 degrees north latitude. Sailors avoided that area because they were scared of sea monsters and boiling water. His primary motivation for exploring the western 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). Another motivation of his was to win a kingdom of his own. He wanted to become a King, but he was not in line for the throne. Because he wasn’t in line for the throne, that motivated him even more to find land for himself. He wanted to find new lands and build a castle, making him King.
In conclusion, Prince Henry was very influential in the exploration and expansion of Portuguese. He was credited with furthering knowledge of geography, map making, and navigation. His travels and explorations paved the way for explorers who would go on to discover the New World. He helped create a faster way and a path to our modern day. If he didn’t help with the explorations and trips, it might’ve taken us longer to explore and find places and

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