Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page. His second son became governor of Portuguese India. His fleet on the second voyage consisted of 20 armed ships.There is a crater named Vasco da Gama on the Moon.Eventually, the command was given to his son Vasco instead. Originally Vasco's father, Estevao, was going to be given the command of the exploration fleet, but the trip was delayed for many years.However, he died of malaria shortly after arriving. On the third voyage Vasco was to take over as Viceroy of Portuguese India. The second voyage was more of a military expedition where he captured Arab ships and tried to show the might of the Portuguese navy. Vasco da Gama commanded two more fleets to India. He had found the much needed trade route to India. However, when he returned home, he was a hero. Around half of his crew died from scurvy as the trip back took much longer. He had brought little of value in his ships. With the help of a Monsoon wind they were able to cross the Indian Ocean and arrive in Calicut, India in less than a month.Īt Calicut, Vasco ran into issues when trying to trade. At Malindi they gained a local navigator who knew the direction to India. They stopped at trading ports along the way including Mombasa and Malindi. They then headed north up the coast of Africa. The expedition rounded the southern tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope on November 22. Route traveled by da Gama on his first voyage He had 170 men and 4 ships: the Sao Gabriel, Sao Rafael, the Berrio, and a fourth ship unnamed and used for storage. Vasco da Gama left on his first voyage from Lisbon, Portugal on July 8, 1497. He was also told to find any other trading opportunities along the way. Vasco da Gama was given a fleet of ships by the king and told to find a trade route around Africa to India.
However, many were skeptical and thought that the Indian Ocean did not connect with the Atlantic Ocean. It was thought that there may be a way around the Cape and to the northeast towards India.
The King of Portugal figured if he could find a way to get to India by sailing on the ocean, he would become rich trading spices in Europe.Īn explorer by the name of Bartolomeu Dias had discovered the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa. Spices from India were very popular in Europe, however, the only way to travel from Europe to India was over land. He followed in his father's footsteps and soon commanded ships in the king's name. Vasco da Gama was born in a small coastal town in Portugal named Sines. He led the first expedition that traveled from Europe to India by sailing around Africa.
Vasco da Gama (1460 - 1524) was a Portuguese explorer.
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