Prince Henry the Prince Henry the Navigator, His School Navigator, His School

and Nautical and Nautical TechnologyTechnology

1394-14601394-1460

Prince Henry the Navigator was the Prince Henry the Navigator was the prince of Portugal.prince of Portugal.

He was born in Portugal in 1394.He was born in Portugal in 1394.

Prince Henry took the lead in opening Prince Henry took the lead in opening the African route to Asia by the African route to Asia by

establishing a school of navigation and establishing a school of navigation and financing voyages.financing voyages.

Prince Henry the Prince Henry the NavigatorNavigator►Set up school for navigatorsSet up school for navigators

►Never sailedNever sailed►Sponsored voyages along Sponsored voyages along

African coast to win slave trade African coast to win slave trade from Muslims and stop from Muslims and stop expansionexpansion

►His explorers discovered the His explorers discovered the Azores, the Madeira Isles & Azores, the Madeira Isles & Cape Verde IslesCape Verde Isles

►Sent out more than 50 Sent out more than 50 expeditions but went on NONE expeditions but went on NONE himselfhimself

This school attracted experts in This school attracted experts in cartography, astronomy, and cartography, astronomy, and navigation from many nations.navigation from many nations.

Cartography = map makingCartography = map making

Astronomy = the study of the starsAstronomy = the study of the stars

Navigation = planning a ship’s directionNavigation = planning a ship’s direction

His SchoolHis School at at Sagres, PortugalSagres, Portugal

““the end of the world where the the end of the world where the waters of the ocean boil at sunset“.waters of the ocean boil at sunset“.

(Roman name for Sagres.)(Roman name for Sagres.)

Sagres, Portugal's Lands End.Sagres, Portugal's Lands End.

►This place, a promontory on the edge This place, a promontory on the edge of the open ocean, had an of the open ocean, had an otherworldly reputation, and had been otherworldly reputation, and had been called the Sacred Promontory by called the Sacred Promontory by Marinus and Ptolomy (from which the Marinus and Ptolomy (from which the name Sagres derives.)name Sagres derives.)

Sagres—Lands EndSagres—Lands End► Under Henry's patronage, a Under Henry's patronage, a

community of brilliant community of brilliant scholars came here to teach scholars came here to teach and to study,  and  and to study,  and  accumulated and correlated accumulated and correlated nautical knowledge as it was nautical knowledge as it was brought back by captains of brought back by captains of successive voyages to successive voyages to hitherto unknown places. The hitherto unknown places. The scholars in turn instructed scholars in turn instructed less experienced captains less experienced captains about Atlantic currents and about Atlantic currents and wind systems and the latest wind systems and the latest navigational methods. navigational methods. Cartography was refined with Cartography was refined with the use of newly devised the use of newly devised instruments. Maps were instruments. Maps were regularly updated and regularly updated and extended. A revolutionary extended. A revolutionary type of vessel, the caravel, type of vessel, the caravel, was designed. was designed.

The TechnologyThe TechnologyThe compass – magnetic device that locates geographic direction (N, S, E, W)

Astrolabe – device used to locate and predict position of sun, moon, stars, planets; determine time and latitude

The caravel - a light sailing ship that could sail very fast and into the wind

The Printing Press- fast, affordable, simplier production of text. (average 1 page every 3 minutes)