Vasco+da+Gama

vasco da gama (1460/1469 - 1524) justin glazman, tracy glova, taina jabouin, and jarold ponciano 

map of da gama's voyage: 

biographical sketch: early life: Little is known about Vasco da Gama's early life. Historians know that he was born in the municipality of either Sines or Vidigueira, Alentego, Portugal in the 1460s, but people don't even know his exact date of birth. The Portuguese historian Teixeira de Aragão suggests that da Gama studied in the town of Évora, which is where he might of learned mathematics and navigation. It is evident that da Gama knew astronomy well because of his great navigation skills, and it is possible that he may have studied under the astronomer Abraham Zacuto, an astronomer who served for the Royal Court of John II of Portugal.

parents: Vasco da Gama's father was Estêvão da Gama, who in the 1460s was a knight in the household of the Dom Fernando, aka the Duke of Viseu. Dom Fernando appointed Estêvão the Governor of Sines, which enabled him to receive a small revenue from taxes in soap making in Estremoz.

Estêvão da Gama was married to Dona Isabel Sodré, a woman of English descent. Since Estêvão was so high up in the social latter, Dona Isabel had links to the household of Prince Diogo, Duke of Viseu, son of king Edward I of Portugal and governor of the military Order of Christ. So many personal connections made their family well known and considered "noble" throughout Portugal.

important facts about da gama's exploration: 1. Vasco da Gama left for his first voyage on July 8, 1497. He brought with him his brothers and 170 other men. The fleet set sail from Lisbon, Portugal. 2. Vasco da Gama's fleet reached the African coast on November 4, 1497. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%;">3. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> After reaching Africa, da Gama and his men followed the route Bartolomeu Dias took. By December 16, Vasco and his men had reached the Great Fish River - the place where Dias stopped and set sail back to Europe. However, da Gama kept sailing forward. When Christmas came closer, da Gama and his men named the coast they were passing by //Natal// which means "birth of Christ" in Portuguese. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%;">4. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> On Februrary 1498, Vasco da Gama continued north, landing in Malindi. Malinidi's leaders were much friendlier than of Mombasa's, who Vasco had a problem with when he previously came upon their land. While in Malindi, Vasco and his men contacted men who knew of the monsoon winds that could bring the rest of his expedition to Calicut. Once knowledge was gained, da Gama's fleet were soon at sea again. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%;">5. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Vasco da Gama's fleet landed in Kappad, near Calicult, India on May 20, 1498. The King of Calicut, who was at that time staying in his second capital at Ponnani, returned to Calicut when he heard that da Gama's fleet arrived on his land. The king order the visitors to move to the famous port of Panthalayani. Though after being accused of being a pirate instead of royalty and having to do certain demands because of his petty gifts to the natives, Vasco forcefully carried off local inhabitants from Calicut and set sail back to Lisbon. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%;">6. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Vasco da Gama set sail for home on August 29, 1498. Eager to leave, he ignored the monsoon winds patterns, which were still blowing onshore. Since the monsoons winds were sailing in the opposite direction of which da Gama was sailing, it took him and his fleet 132 days to return. During this trip, approximately half of his crew died and the rest were afflicted with scurvy. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 19px;">7. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 19px;"> Only two of Vasco's ships were able to return. One reached Portugal on July 1499; the other on August 1499. Vasco, however, returned to Lisbon on September 1499. Once home he was rewarded for finding an all water route to India, a complication that took eighty years to solve. Also, Vasco, his siblings, and his future descendants were rewarded the titl <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">e Dom, which translates to Lord because of his success.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 42px;">acts of cruelty: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Vasco da Gama inflicted great acts of cruelty while encountering natives and local inhabitants of the land that he discovered. For example, during his second voyage to Calicut, India, da Gama intercepted a ship of Muslim pilgrims who were traveling to Mecca. da Gama took over the ship with over 400 pilgrims on board including 50 women, the owner, and an ambassador from Egypt, locked them below deck. and burnt them to death. When da Gama looked through the porthole he saw the women bringing up their valuable gold, jewels and babies, begging for mercy. The passengers offered their wealth, but they were not spared.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Another act of cruelty was when da Gama demanded the expulsion of Mulsims in Calicut because he was such a devoted Christian. When things did not go his way, da Gama called Talappanna Namboothiri, a high priest, for talks. When Talappanna tried to compromise, Vasco called him a spy. da Gama had the priest's lips and ears cut off and a pair of dog's ears to be sewn to his head. After that punishment, he sent Talappanna away, probably to do the labors that enslaved Africans would have to do.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 220%;">misc. facts about vasco da gama and his voyage: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%;">1. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Estêvão da Gama was originally supposed to make the voyage that Vasco made, but he died <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">before he could set sail. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">2. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Vasco da Gama is the most sucessful explorer in the European Age of Discovery. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">3. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> For a short time in 1524, da Gama was the Governor of Portuguese India <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">4. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Vasco da Gama was marreid to Catarina de Ataide and together they had six sons and one daughter. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">5. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Historians don't know how Vasco da Gama died; most conclude that he died of an illness. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">6. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Vasco da Gama died in Kochi, India on December 24, 1524 at the age of 64. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">7. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Vasco had two other brothers: Paulo and Nicolao Coelho. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">8. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> During Vasco's first voyage, he set sail of four ships. He commanded the Sao Gabriel. The other three were the Sao Rafael, the Berrio, and a storeship for supplies. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">9. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Since da Gama's social status was so high, he was educated very well. As mentioned before he knew mathematics, navigation, and astronomy, but he also knew geometry, physics, and several different languages. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 190%; line-height: 21px;">10. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> In September 1499 Vasco da Gama was acclaimed as the Admiral of the India Ocean/Seas. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">hi...