Henry the Navigator Leads Order of Christ
Henry the Navigator, a key figure in the Age of Exploration, was awarded the governorship of the Order of Christ on May 25, 1420. This powerful religious order, associated with the Knights Templar, provided him with the financial resources necessary to pursue his ambitious goals in navigation and exploration. Born in 1394, Henry was the third son of King John I of Portugal and sought alternative avenues for influence rather than the throne. His military interests began with the conquest of the Muslim port city of Ceuta in 1415, which sparked his fascination with trade routes.
Henry established a center for navigation in Sagres, Portugal, where he developed new technologies and methods for sea exploration. He founded a school for navigators, created an observatory, and promoted innovations in ship design, notably the caravel. While he never personally embarked on voyages, his initiatives led to significant discoveries, including the Madeira Islands and the Azores, and advancements along the African coast. His efforts, supported by the profits of the Order of Christ, ultimately laid the groundwork for Portugal's expansive trade empire across the globe, significantly impacting the region's economic dynamics. Henry passed away in 1460, but his legacy continued to influence maritime exploration and trade for generations.
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Henry the Navigator Leads Order of Christ
Henry the Navigator Leads Order of Christ
On May 25, 1420, Prince Henry of Portugal, nicknamed the Navigator, was awarded the governorship of the Order of Christ, the Portuguese branch of one of the world's wealthiest religious orders, the Knights Templar. The revenue from this post would help Henry pursue his interests in navigation and exploration and make him a pioneer in Europe's nascent colonial expansion. He was one of the founders of Portugal's trade empire, which at its peak stretched from Brazil to Africa to the East Indies.
Henry was born sometime in 1394 in Porto, Portugal. He was the third son of the Portuguese king John I and thus unlikely ever to succeed to the throne. Therefore, he pursued other interests. Henry encouraged his father to cross the straits of Gibraltar and attack the Muslim port city of Ceuta in North Africa, not far from Portugal and he conquered it in 1415. Henry was impressed with the city's prosperity, based on trade, and became convinced that Portugal should pursue trading possibilities as well. However, rather than deal with the Muslim middlemen who dominated Asian and African trade with Europe, Henry wanted to develop Portugal's own trade routes. He moved to Sagres in southern Portugal, close to North Africa, and began to establish institutions for the expansion of Portuguese sea power, which would be essential in building his visionary trade empire. The Portuguese already had a long seafaring tradition, but Henry's new school for navigators expanded upon these skills and made the latest scientific information available. He also established an observatory, so that navigators using the stars and other heavenly bodies for guidance would have precise information. Finally, Henry encouraged improvements in ship design and construction, which led to the development of a new kind of sailing vessel, known as the caravel.
Although he never went on a single voyage himself, Henry's navigators and explorers discovered the Madeira Islands and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, both of which were colonized by the Portuguese. His seamen also sailed south along the African coastline, and in 1434 they passed Cape Bojador, the southernmost point known to any European sailor. Terrifying old stories warned of a “green sea of darkness” swarming with monsters beyond Cape Bojador, but the Portuguese rounded the cape and discovered that there were no monsters there. Much encouraged, Henry pushed his men to explore farther, in voyages made possible by the revenue from his position as head of the Order of Christ. The Portuguese Crown also granted him one-fifth of any profits that might be derived from new trade beyond Bojador. By 1446 Henry's men had reached the mouth of the Gambia River in equatorial Africa, charting many sites as they traveled that would later become Portuguese trading posts and forts. Even before he died on November 13, 1460, the fruits of Henry's labors were being realized, as gold and other riches flowed directly into Portuguese coffers, now that the Muslim traders using land routes across mainland Africa could be bypassed.