Upon his return voyage, he set up a pillar on the Cape to commemorate its discovery.Īlthough Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) claimed to have reached India by a much easier westerly route in 1492, interest in the route around Africa was renewed when the validity of his contention came under close scrutiny.
Dias had shown that there was indeed a possible route to India via the southern tip of Africa. In 1487 Portuguese navigator Bartholomeu Dias (1450?-1500) rounded the cape of Africa in stormy seas and began sailing in a northeast direction to reach what is now South Africa. The sea route was to go around the southern tip of Africa, which was not even believed to exist by some at that time. King John II of Portugal sought to establish both a land route and a sea route to India. Although Prince Henry died in 1460, his legacy was firmly established and exploration continued. He commissioned numerous expeditions throughout the fifteenth century to explore and chart the African coast. He wanted to establish new routes of trade, find a possible route to attack the Moors from the rear, test new advances in shipbuilding and navigational aids, and fulfill his curiosity regarding the world.
Prince Henry had multiple motives for this endeavor. Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) of Portugal is often credited with initiating the "Age of Discovery." This was the term given to the quest of European countries to seek out new lands and trade routes by sea. Vasco da Gama Establishes the First Ocean Trade Route from Europe to India and Asia Overview
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