In 1498, the Exploration Era, the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama found an water-route to the India and Spice Islands through the Cape of Good Hope. The Portuguese king, in a sense of pillaging and capitalize on this discovery, sent a strong armada to India under Pedro Alvares Cabral’s lead. Cabral misunderstood the map that Vasco de Gama had drawn and went too far towards the west. Eventually, he saw the mainland of South America. This was how the Brazil first being discovered by the Europens.
The Portuguese and the Spanish had named this new land they had found as the “New World.” They made a treaty which established a line that divided them up as West (Spanish) and East (Portuguese). This treaty was called the Treaty of Tordesillas. The region that was sighted by Cabral was under Portuguese’s control. (This treaty was made in 1494.) (A)
The new possession of the Portuguese was initially called Vera Cruz which meant the “True Cross.” However the land was soon given a new name as “Brazil” because of all brazil wood they had found there which could make a valuable red dye.
After this event, some Italian people had come to the New Land. One who was called Amerigo Vaspucci discovered some new lands within the Brazil area, and named them after some saints. (A)
While Brazil was under Portuguese’s control, they did not realize there were precious metals in Brazil. They had casted all their attention upon woods and other raw materials. Therefore, French had a chance of taking away the possessions which were owned by the Portuguese. However, John III, the king of Portugal realized how valuable was Brazil, therefore he denied the dominance of French people over his land. This was a start point of French and Portuguese’s fight over Brazil. (B, C)
In 1555, French troops took possession of the harbor of Rio de Janeiro. However Mem de Sá, the governor- general, blockaded the harbor and forced the French soldiers to surrender. After this he established the city of Rio de Janeiro. (A)
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