Vasco Da Gama Research Paper

Background Vasco Da Gama was a highly respected and successful Portuguese sailor. His name is synonymous with the European Age of Exploration. Vasco Da Gama is perhaps well-known for his efforts in establishing Portugal as a major colonial empire. He is most famous for being the first person to sail directly from Europe to India (Biography.com, 2015; BBC, 2014; Szalay, 2013). His philosophy is perhaps embodied in the statement “I am not afraid of the darkness”, which signifies the courage with which he undertook his expeditions.

According to Szalay (2013), Vasco Da Gama was born in Sines, Portugal in 1460. This is also aformed by History.com (2015), which states that he was born on the coast of the Alentejo Province, southwest of Portugal, to a nobleman who commanded the fortress at Sines. Much of his childhood is lost to history. However, according to Biography.com (2015), when he was old enough, da Gama was sent to join the navy where he became an expert at navigation.

Vasco Da Gama’s chance to prove

Gabriel, his flagship. After months of sailing, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope and began making his way up the eastern coast of Africa, toward the unfamiliar waters of the Indian Ocean (Biography.com, 2015). However, by January, the expedition was forced to anchor and rest as most of the crew became ill with scurvy as they neared Mozambique. In 1498, da Gama and his ships reached Mozambique on the east coast of Africa. In the same year, da Gama reached what is now Kenya, where he came across an Indian local who offered to pilot them across the Indian Ocean (History.com, 2015). After 23 days, da Gama reached Calicut, India, on May 20th, 1498. The ruler of Calicut was disappointed by Da Gama’s cheap gifts and hence a trade treaty was not concluded. However, despite this fact, Vasco da Gama was still able to return home to Portugal with fine gifts that included