Henry the Navigator

Henry the Navigator is credited with being a major catalyst for the Age of Exploration, a time period marked by seafaring voyages and discoveries. In addition to his desire to attain more wealth and power, his voyages were also intended to broaden the network of Christian allies. Battles with Muslim Moors were common during the 1400's, and Christian allies could help create safe trading routes.

Like so many at the time, he also hoped to secure a new route to the Orient. After the fall of Constantinople and the subsequent rise of Istanbul, the trek to India was unsafe for European traders. The old sea routes could not be used.

Henry the Navigator held the title of Duke because he was the third son of King John I of Portugal and Philippa, King Henry IV of England's sister. His father's rule caused civil unrest in Portugal, which left some members of the royal family in poverty, forcing them to look for ways to recover the country's economy.

He had two brothers, both of whom were involved in navigation and exploration, which likely fueled Henry's interest in these pursuits. His older brother was named Duarte, and his younger brother's name was Pedro.

His ambition from early on was to win a kingdom for himself, which inspired him to focus on acquiring new lands.

As a young man, Henry the Navigator helped Portugal defeat Muslim forces in the ‘Battle of Ceuta’. This victory led to the first permanent European military presence in North Africa and served as the starting point of his career.

On December 14, 1418, he founded his own navigation school. Modern scholars dispute whether he is rightly credited for founding this navigation school.

His brother, Pedro, had a copy of Marco Polo's travels translated from Italian to Portuguese in 1428 as a gift for Henry. This would serve to fuel his interest in focusing on exploration.

Prince Henry sailed the West Coast of Africa in search of different sea routes to the Indies in 1435. This would be one of his only voyages. Upon his return, he began sponsoring numerous commissioned voyages.

Because of Portugal's financial troubles, Henry's continued funding of investment ventures in exploration was met with extreme criticism. When one of his voyages to North Africa finally returned with gold dust in 1441, it silenced the critics who believed he was wasting money on an enterprise that would never lead to any profits for Portugal.

Henry the Navigator is credited with founding a school for cartographers and navigators by many historians, though there is debate about whether he actually did so but his expeditions reached as far as Sierra Leone in West Africa.