Portugal and Early Exploration of Africa

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to Portugal's early exploration of Africa and the slave trade.

Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince who sponsored exploration along the African coast, motivated by the desire to spread Christianity and establish commercial links with Africa.

Ceuta

The first significant territory conquered by the Portuguese in their expansion across the Atlantic coast, located on the coast of Morocco.

Cape Bajador

Reached by the Portuguese in 1432, it is located further southwest of Ceuta on the shores of the Atlantic Coast.

Senegambia

Region in West Africa where the Portuguese arrived in 1460, known for providing enslaved people for European markets.

Castle of Elmina

The first permanent Portuguese trading post built in 1482 on the western coast of present-day Ghana to protect trade.

Triangular Trade

The transatlantic slave trade system connecting Africa, America, and Europe, involving the exchange of slaves and goods.

Legitimate Trade

Trade in commodities between Africans and European merchants after the abolition of the slave trade, focusing on raw materials like cash crops.

Boers

Dutch settlers in South Africa who established a settlement to regulate trade and farm, leading to conflicts with indigenous Khoisan people.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The trade of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas, beginning in the 15th century and ending in the 19th century.

Economic Impact of the Slave Trade

The slave trade undermined African craft technology and agriculture and reallocated labor away from agricultural work.

Political Effects of Slavery

The slave trade caused confusion and insecurity in Africa, discouraging political development and leading to violence within communities.

Population Growth Factors

The success of American crops like maize and cassava in Africa that contributed to population growth in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Ghana (Gold Coast)

An African kingdom encountered by the Portuguese during their explorations, known for its substantial deposits of gold.

Xhosa

An ethnic group in South Africa that faced violent conflicts with Boers during the colonial expansion.

Colonial Expansion

The process by which European powers expanded their territories in Africa, often through the exploitation of local resources and people.

Catholic Missionaries

Roman Catholic Christian missionaries from Portugal sent to Africa to convert local rulers and establish alliances.