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Spice Trade 1500

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In c. 1419, the Portuguese began exploring the western coast of Africa, gradually working their way down. Even though the spice trade was already in full bloom, it was not an interest of the Portuguese until the 1480’s. Up until that point, Portugal’s primary objectives were to find gold and to seek a mythical Christian king named Prester John. There had been word of him ruling a vast and wealthy empire in either Africa or Asia. These objectives would later play a part in the Portuguese’s relationship with the African Moors. Bartolomeu Dias (d. 1500) rounded the Cape of Good Hope by 1488 and reported that the India sea route was open. In 1497, in an attempted to continue Prince Henry’s efforts in to find a sea route to India, Prince Manuel placed four vessels in Vasco da Gama charge. Efforts for trade routes became more prevalent than they had in the past, likely due to observing the Vancian spice trade. Following the 1498 arrival to India, two Spanish-speaking Tunisians reportedly asked the first man from Vasco da Gama’s crew to arrive, “What the devil has brought you …show more content…
3, 1492, Columbus set sail for the Indies and by mid-October had found land. Once met with the indigenous people, Columbus determined them to be more apt to religious conversion if introduced gently rather than by force. He wrote that he believed these people to be good people, full of good will for each other. Columbus went on to describe the people in great detail, from how their hair looked to their stance, speaking of them as if he were viewing show horses. It later becomes clear why, as he writes that they would make excellent servants and that he plans to take six of them with him on his voyage home. Columbus was taking detailed notes of these people not from awe of their beauty, but for their potential price tag as a slave. It becomes difficult to continue believing that Columbus’s good intentions were not lost to greed, but as his journal continues so does his

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