Roupa de pedro alvares cabral explorer biography images

: Pedro Alvares Cabral Portuguese

He was the first European to discover Brazil, and also established a successful sea route to India and a leader in trade there. He landed near present-day Bahia off the eastern coast of South America. Several years after Cabral, the Portuguese began colonizing the area. They found great profit by exporting lumber, specifically the brazilwood tree.

This was a tropical tree that produces a bright red dye that became very popular. It was also a strong, sturdy wood that was used to make furniture and in ship-building. Although little is known of his early life, we know that he was the second son and came from a noble family. At this time, the Portuguese were searching for a route to Asia by trying to sail around Africa.

Nearly ten years later between and , Portuguese explorer rounded Africa, and made it all the way to Asia, landing in Calicut, India. This accomplishment opened up a faster trade route for the Portuguese empire. He chose Pedro Cabral to head this expedition. It unsure why the king chose Cabral. It is believed that he had little to no sailing experience.

In addition to setting up trading relations in India, Cabral was also tasked with spreading Catholicism. Explorers throughout the ages believed that most native religions were wrong, so they would press Christianity upon the natives — sometimes by force. Not only was Cabral to follow the same route as da Gama, but he was also to sail farther west into the Atlantic ocean to see if any land was out there to be claimed by Portugal.