Prince Henery the Navigator essays

Prince Henery the Navigator essays In 1394, Prince Henry the Navigator was born into royalty in Porto, Portugal. His parents were the King and Queen of Portugal. At that time, Europe was less developed in marine technology than China. Europe had not reached the advancements in the study of geography of Islamic society. However, after two centuries of hard work, Europeans dominated the world in marine technology and the study of geography. Prince Henry the Navigator helped Europe become a leader in navigation and exploration. He paved the way for Portugal to be a leader in the Age of Discovery. Prince Henry always wondered what was beyond the known world. In 1419, Prince Henry began to sponsor sailors, mapmakers, astronomers and shipbuilders who were interested in discovering new lands.(3) He had the money and imagination to send people into the unknown dangers of the ocean. He sponsored voyages that left Portugal to explore new worlds. The explorations sponsored by Prince Henry helped progress the study of geography and made Portugal a leader in navigation among European nations. Henry sent out more than 50 caravels into the sea. Prince Henry, however, never sailed on any of his voyages of discovery. (1) There were many obstacles to success in ocean navigation. Geographical knowledge of the world was not what it is today. In that time people believed that the oceans were full of dragons and sea monsters. They also believed that there were holes in the ocean where ships would disappear. The human dangers of ocean travel included wild natives, unmapped waters, and violent storms.(5). Additionally, the conditions on their ships were very bad. Men would go for weeks without fresh food or water. Around the year 1450, Prince Henry established a school for the study of navigation, mapmaking, and shipbuilding. The school for naval navigation was at Ponto de Sagres in the southwestern tip of Portugal. (7 p. 2) Henry also employed cartographers who created t...