Prince Henry

Prince Henry told his explorers to go further than ever before, and bring home everything they could find in West Africa.

Prince Henry was born in Portugal in 1394. Prince Henry eventually became know as Henry the navigator. Prince Henry did a bunch of important work, He helped explorers find new routes and make new discoveries. Before Prince Henry earned a special title Henry the navigator, he had to work for his father King John the first.

Prince Henry knew that when he was old enough, he would have to help his father fight for his county, because Portugal had been fighting with Africa for many years.

In 1411, when price Henry was 17 years old, he told his father that Portugal should attack the Muslims city of Ceuta in Africa. He explained that Portugal would be richer if we took over this wealthy city and King John agreed. Price Henry started the first European school for training sailors and navigators. Prince Henry schools were secret. Later Prince Henry became the English world speaker. In 1441; one of Henry’s squires, Jouo Fernandez discovered that the nomadic people of West Africa used camels for travel.

Prince Henry lived in the Middle Ages thanks to his sponsorship, Portugal explorers sailed along the west coast Africa, and on the trip along the coast of Africa they met a lot of different groups of Africans. Prince Henry and his brother fought in the Ceuta war. In 1433, King John died and Prince Henry received lord ship of the colonies from his brother, the new king. Prince Henry received permission from his brother, King Duarte to colonize the island. In 1436, Prince Henry sent a ship further than south coast.

Life aboard Prince Henry caravels was hard for everyone. Caravels during prince henrys time were fast and light weight sailing craft with lateen sails. Prince Henry’s ships sailed in day light so they could steer around debris along the coast. While Prince Henry was in Ceuta, he learned Africa traded items and geography, including guinea, a region to the south that was to be rich. Prince Henry sponsored, or paid for, Portugal explorers to visit the island.

Before prince Henry explored the world maps and charts of western Africa and the Atlantic Ocean were not accurate because European explorers had not traveled beyond Cape Bojador. New maps were created piece by piece. In 1441, Portugal explores captured some of they first African prisoners. Among the eleven people captured was Adahu, who spoke the Arabic language and had to travel and trade routes of the Sahara.