Throughout the world’s history exploration has been a major factor is the developments of the world, but who is the greatest explorer? One explorer that has caught my attention is explorer and navigator, Pedro Alvares Cabral. Pedro Cabral was a Portuguese man born between 1467 and 1468 in Belmonte, Portugal. He was born into “Noble Portuguese Family” (Elizabethan-era.org.uk, n.d.) and from that was able to receive proper and advanced education. Looking deeper into Pedro Alvares Cabral’s life I determine him as the best explorer ever due to multiple reasons: Cabral was a man who had the right attitude on his exploration of the world, added onto the accomplishments of past successful voyages to improve results, and also made his own findings with success of his mission. All of these are signs of how Cabral tops even more well-known explorers of time.
In long and dangerous voyages across the world the emotions that you portray have major effects on the results of events. Pedro Alvares Cabral was one man who had control over his attitude and in return it factored into his journey becoming a success. An example that proves this argument is it is said that Cabral was an explorer who “made a special effort to treat inhabitants kindly, receiving them on board his caravel” (Britannica.com, n.d.) That quote was pulled out in context referring to Cabral turning people to his side in Brazil and having them accompany him on his voyage as help. With this kind of display of emotions that Cabral showed he was able to accomplish something other more forceful explorers couldn’t, free extra aide. Along with that event, Cabral was also able to show his deep mental strength in the form of anger and vengeance. On his journey, Cabral and his men wer...
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... while still fulfilling his requirements given to him. In addition to that, Cabral was also capable of finding land that was not yet touched by other explorers before him and was able to claim it for Portugal to rule as its own. Factoring everything together, it is obvious that Pedro Alvares Cabral surpasses and outclasses all other explorers due to his great mind, excellent job completion, and added findings from his time spent away from Portugal.
Works Cited
"Pedro Alvares Cabral (Portuguese Explorer)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
"Pedro Alvares Cabral: Portuguese Explorer - EnchantedLearning.com." Pedro Alvares Cabral: Portuguese Explorer - EnchantedLearning.com. Enchanted Learning, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Alchin, Linda. "Pedro Alvares Cabral." Pedro Alvares Cabral. Elizabithan Era, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
Dom Henrique of Portugal is also known as Henry the Navigator. Prince Henry was involved with the expansion of Portuguese rule in the Pacific Islands. His main reasons for his voyages were to explore Africa, expand trade, and expand Christianity. This is important because Prince Henry’s goals and achievements are what inspired Vasco de Gama's discovery of a way to India and Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America[ "Prince Henry the Navigator." Prestage, Edgar. (accessed February 17, 2014). http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07239a.htm ]. He is one of the main reasons that Christianity has spread so far to foreign lands and has influenced different cultures.
I, Francisco de Bobadilla was a colonial administrator and Spanish conquistador. I was a Knight of the Order of Calatrava and an Castilian of the Royal House . I was sent as a judge to the island of the San Salvador, where I arrested Columbus for Corruption in his government. I served as governor of Indies for 2 years .
From a proud Conquistador, to a castaway, a slave and trader, and then medicine man, Cabeza de Vaca was the first European to explore much of the southern coast of Texas. Cabeza was a 37 year old military veteran in 1527 when he left on the Narvaez Expedition to find gold and colonize the Gulf Coast. He was the expedition’s treasurer. Cabeza de Vaca was enslaved by Indians in 1528 when one of the rafts the crew made crashed on present day Galveston island, he then escaped in 1530 and joined/was enslaved by another tribe called the Charrucos until his escape with 3 other survivors in 1534. He then walked to Mexico City. Cabeza survived this ordeal because of the incredible patience he had, his skills of diplomacy and goodwill, and his amazing wilderness survival skills.
Christopher Columbus and Alvez Nunez Cabeza de Vaca were both explorers for Spain, but under different rulers and different times. The more famous, Christopher Columbus, came before de Vaca’s time. Columbus sailed a series of four voyages between 1492 and 1504 in search for a route to Asia which led accidentally to his discovery of new land inhabited with Indians. Christopher sailed under the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella for his journey to the “Indies,” whom he was loyal to by claiming everything in their name. De Vaca , followed in Christopher’s footsteps and journeyed to Hispanionola for Spain’s emperor, Charlves V, the grandson of Ferdinand and Isabella. Both, Columbus and de Vaca composed a series of letters addressing the main issue of their journey to the new land, but both were expressed in a different manner, included different material, and were motivated to write for dissimilar reasons.
When comparing the Chinese and Western historical development, the similar key events would have very different outcomes due to their different backgrounds. During the fifteenth century, Zheng He was commissioned to lead the “treasure ships” for seven voyages down the Western Seas. And, Prince Henry sent expeditions to explore the western coast of Africa. China and Portugal, the both ends of the Eurasian continent, almost simultaneously began marine navigations. They have shared some similar features, but there are actually major differences between the two. This paper will compare and contrast these two remarkable explorers. The focus will be on the ideas and circumstances that influenced their actions, and their importance in shaping history.
Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca. "The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca" University of Nebraska Press, 2003.
Reading both passages of the two explorers, Christopher Columbus and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, gives a great description of how the world was back in the 1500s. Now, although both were Spaniard explorers, each had different experiences and discoveries. One of the differences is how they approached exploring the new world. For instance, Columbus went to find new land in the west, while Cabeza de Vaca went as an expedition to already found lands. In addition, Columbus had a lot of success, while Cabeza de Vaca since the beginning, because of Narváez, “endured many disasters” (Baym, et al., 2013, p. 28). Furthermore, Christopher Columbus considered most important to find more land, and especially the route to reach Asia.
"Diaz del Castillo, Bernal." In Encyclopedia of Exploration, by Carl Waldman and Alan Wexler, 178. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
Juan Ponce de Leon is most recognized as the Spanish explorer who discovered Florida. However this was not his only achievement or contribution to the Spanish empire. Prior to discovering Florida he helped fight off the last of the Moors in Granada, he prevented the Indians from attacking the Spaniards in Hispaniola, he served as the first governor of Puerto Rico, discovered other geographical features off of Florida’s coast all while never giving up on his quest for gold or to gain the same recognition as Christopher Columbus.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a self-made man who worked his way up to being the Captain of a merchant vessel. He gained the support of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, for an expedition to the Indies. With the support of the Spanish monarchy, he set off to find a new and faster trade route to the Indies. Upon the arrival of his first voyage, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, a “royal official and an early supporter of his venture,” in February 1493 (35). The epistle, letter, entitled “Letter to Luis de Santangel Regarding the First Voyage” was copied and then distributed in Spain before being translated and spread throughout Europe. The Letter is held in such regard with the people as it is considered the first printed description of the new world. Through his description of the nature of the islands, Columbus decided the future fate of the islands. His description of the vast beauty of the nature around him, declares both the economic and nationalistic motivations for colonizing the new world.
Figueroa, Luis A. "Before and After the First Conquest: From Tainos to Early Spanish Colonialism". September 17, 1998.
Little is known about Pedro de Cieza de Leon’s youth. Historians have discovered that Pedro de Cieza de Leon was a Spaniard, a conquistador, and a writer of Peru’s history. Pedro de Cieza de Leon was not well educated and had only the most basic education from his local school parish (Atlantis). Although he did not have a superior education, his four part book is reliable because he wrote about what he observed as a conquistador. This document is full of interesting information for the reader to discover the Inca’s way of living.
Were there any other explorers who may have come across the Americas before Columbus? What caused Columbus to have such a vast impact on the society? This investigation will go further into the aspects of why Columbus’ name is widely recognized and how he had a tremendous impact, when there is evidence that suggests there may have been other explorers who had previously stumbled upon what Columbus is claimed to discover.
Spanish 10th essay Ponce De Leon Don Juan Ponce de Leon "To bad he had to kick the bucket!" Don Juan Ponce de Leon was a Spanish conqueror and explorer. He was born around 1460 in San Tervas de Campos, Spain. Ponce de Leon lived in an age of great discovery and excitement. Ponce de Leon is well known, claiming and naming what is now Florida, the discovery of Puerto Rico, and his never-ending search for the old time classic, the Fountain of Youth! On November 19, 1493 Ponce de Leon was one of the first Europeans to see the small island of Borinquen, the Indian name for Puerto Rico.
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo - A Voyage of Discovery. "Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo." National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 08 Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. .