S7: Portuguese Expansion, Colonial Empire and Decolonization

Question 1

Reasons for overseas exploration

Answer 1

• Location
• Contact with the Sea, developed coastal cities and experience in seafaring
• Technological and scientific advantages: such as the caravel (a ship), navigation tools and Portolan charts (coastline maps)
• Religion: spread Christianity
• Military aristocracy searching for fields of action
• Search for African gold
• Search for new routes for spice trade, threatened during the 15th century by pirates and more expensive due to turkish heavy taxes

Question 2

Phases of the Portuguese overseas expansion: cronology, location and main aspects

Answer 2

1st phase: Asia until 1580, reasons: maritime trade - slaves, spices

2nd phase: Brazil 1663-1825, major discovers of gold and later, diamonds

3rd Phase: Africa, 1825-1975, british ultimatum, late colonization

Question 3

Estado novo’s colonialism, colonial war and the end of Empire

Answer 3

The end of the empire begins in 1961, struggle starts in Angola, led to death of over a million soldiers

1974-1975 The end of Empire, The fall of dictatorship resulted in decolonization fo Europe’s last colonial empire

Question 4

Luso-tropicalism

Answer 4

Concept, in the justification of late colonial rule –> to harmonize integration of a pluri-racial society - uniqueness of the Portuguese colonial.

“The portuguese were better than other European nations

Question 5

CPLP and the Lusophone world

Answer 5

Lusophone World: is applied to all countries where portuguese is spoken

CPLP: Community of Portuguese Language Countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Vert, Mozambique etc

Question 6

North Africa and Exploration of African Coast

Answer 6

15th century

The beginning of the Portuguese Expansion

Question 7

Iberian union

Answer 7

1580-1640

Union between Spain and Portugal

Question 8

Atlantic triangular trade: Portugal-Angola-Brazil

Answer 8

Slavery trades