Vasco Da Gama

Austin Chappell and Rebecca Martin

About Vasco Da Gama• Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and

navigator and was the first explorer to sail directly from Europe to India. Vasco Da Gama was born in about 1460 into a noble family. In 1497, he was chosen by the Portuguese government to command an expedition to find an ocean route to the east.

About the exploration• Da Gama was chosen by the Portuguese

government to find a marine route to the east. After setting off in July of 1497 Da Gama and his crew sailed south down the coast of Africa then veering far out into the Atlantic then swinging back to arrive off the southern coast of Africa. Da Gama established a route that is still followed by sailing vessels.

Financing• Da Gama was financed by the

Portuguese government. They supported him because they knew that if he was to find a quick marine route to the East they could make large amounts of money through trade. This importance was shown when Da Gama arrived home in Portugal and was treated like a hero and rewarded by the king.

Importance of voyage• This voyage was extremely important because it

provided an oceanic route from Portugal to Asia. The importance of a route from Portugal to Asia was that a lot of Portugal's goods were traded in Asia and many spices and goods from Asia could be sold for large profit in Portugal.

Works Cited• “Vasco Da Gama." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 03 May

2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/da_gama_va sco.shtml>.

• "Vasco Da Gama: Explorer." EnchantedLearning.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2013. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/d/daga ma.shtml>.