Explorers Of The Americas Codexery

Pedro Álvares Cabral

Portuguese explorer who led the first known voyage to four continents

Last updated

Cabral was chosen to lead a fleet to India, taking the sea route around Africa that Vasco da Gama had recently pioneered.[1]

Life and work

Little is certain regarding his life before or after his voyage that led to the discovery of Brazil.[2] On 15 February 1500, Cabral was appointed Capitão-mor of a fleet sailing for India.[3] He arrived back in Portugal on 21 July 1501.[4] Cabral's birth occurred in either 1467 or 1468, at Belmonte, a location roughly 30 km from what is now Covilhã in central Portugal.[2]

He was a member of a minor noble family and obtained a good education.[1] At noon on 9 March 1500, the fleet left Lisbon.[5] On 22 April 1500, the ships dropped anchor close to a spot Cabral named Monte Pascoal, located on the eastern shore of what is today Brazil.[6] Cabral determined that the new territory was situated east of the boundary set by the Treaty of Tordesillas, placing it in Portugal's zone.[7]

What the cited sources add

Historian Malyn Newitt said the choice of Cabral "was a deliberate attempt to balance the interests of rival factions of noble families"[8] Historian James McClymont asserted that Cabral, undeterred by unprecedented losses, pressed forward to accomplish his task.[9] Historian Bailey Diffie affirmed that few voyages to Brazil and India were so well executed as Cabral's.[9] Historian William Greenlee argued that the Portuguese understood they were few and that betrayal had to be punished decisively to instill fear.[4]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: See: * ; * ; * ; * ; * . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Greenlee 1995, p. 190; McClymont 1914, p. 1; See: * ; * ; * ; * .; See: * ; * ; * .; See: * ; * ; * .; Espínola 2001, p. 232; Fernandes 1969, p. 53 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: See: * ; * ; * .; Boxer 2002, p. gallery; Bueno 1998, p. 35; Boxer 2002, p. gallery (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Greenlee 1995, p. 190 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: See: * ; * ; * ; * ; * ; * .; Vianna 1994, p. 43; Bueno 1998, p. 35; Vianna 1994, p. 43; Bueno 1998, p. 35; See: * ; * ; * .; Diffie Winius 1977, p. 39, 46, 93, 113, 191; Bueno 1998, p. 35 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: See: * ; * * ; * . (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vianna 1994, p. 43; Bueno 1998, p. 35; Bueno 1998, p. 35; Bueno 1998, p. 35; Greenlee 1995, p. 190; McClymont 1914, p. 1; Diffie Winius 1977, p. 39, 46, 93, 113, 191 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Greenlee 1995, p. 190; Greenlee 1995, p. 190; Greenlee 1995, p. 190; Newitt 2005, p. 64 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Pedro Álvares Cabral" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Espínola 2001, p. 232; McClymont 1914, p. 1; McClymont 1914, p. 1; Diffie Winius 1977, p. 39, 46, 93, 113, 191; Diffie Winius 1977, p. 39, 46, 93, 113, 191 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Pedro Álvares Cabral (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Named in this entry

Treaty of Tordesillas

More in Explorers Of The Americas

Percy FawcettPierre Savorgnan de BrazzaPytheasPánfilo de NarváezRanulph FiennesReinhold MessnerRené-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La SalleRené CailliéRichard E. ByrdRichard HawkinsVitus BeringVasili Pronchishchev

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →