While the Portuguese systematically advanced around Africa, the Spanish surprised the world with the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492
Have you ever wondered whether Pedro Álvares Cabral 's arrival in the lands we know today as Brazil was really a "happy accident" or part of a meticulously thought-out plan? This question has intrigued historians for decades and fueled heated debates about the intentionality of the discovery of Brazil in 1500.
The context of the Great Navigations
At the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, Portugal and Spain led the great navigations. These expeditions were driven by the search for new routes to the Indies, motivated by the scarcity of precious metals in Europe and the desire to obtain spices and riches from the East. While the Portuguese systematically advanced around Africa, the Spanish surprised the world with the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492.
This scenario of intense competition led the two Iberian nations to sign the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. The agreement divided the known (and undiscovered) world by an imaginary line drawn 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands.
The start of the expedition
Pedro Álvares Cabral's expedition, which left Lisbon on March 9, 1500 for India, was the largest Portuguese squadron to cross the Atlantic at that time. Made up of 13 ships and around 1,500 men - including experienced navigators such as Bartolomeu Dias, Diogo Dias and Nicolau Coelho - the fleet was well equipped for an 18-month journey. Cabral received generous incentives: the promise of 10,000 cruzados and permission to buy and transport 30 tons of pepper, a highly valued product in Europe, which could be resold tax-free.
Despite the incentives, the expedition faced serious challenges. On March 23rd, one of the vessels, commanded by Vasco de Ataíde and with 150 men on board, mysteriously disappeared - a significant loss for the fleet. However, the journey continued. The fleet crossed the equator on April 9 and sailed west, putting as much distance as possible between itself and the African continent.
The "Round the Sea" Strategy
The "turn of the sea" was an ingenious maneuver: the ships turned west, escaping the calms of the Gulf of Guinea and moving considerably away from the African coastline. Afterwards, they resumed their southeasterly course, rounding the Cape of Good Hope (once known as the Cape of Storms) at the southern tip of Africa. This tactic not only avoided dangerously calm waters, but also increased the chances of discovering new lands.
Was the arrival in Brazil planned or did it happen by chance?
Arguments in Favor of Intentionality
- Prior knowledge of lands to the west: Some historians argue that Portugal was already aware of the existence of lands to the west. The insistence of King João II in the negotiations of the Treaty of Tordesillas would suggest this possibility. After all, why fight for such a specific division if there wasn't something to be gained?
- The Non-Stop in Cape Verde: Cabral didn't stop in Cape Verde to refuel, a common practice on voyages at the time. This could indicate that he planned to find land where he could do so.
- Lack of Official Documents: There are no official records indicating a secret mission or instructions to discover new lands. If there was a deliberate intention, why wouldn't there be documentation about it?
- Absence of Stone Patterns: The Portuguese used to take stone patterns to demarcate newly discovered lands. Cabral didn't take any, which suggests that he didn't expect to make any land discoveries.
- Caminha, Pero Vaz de. Carta a El-Rei Dom Manuel sobre o achamento do Brasil, 1500.
- Bueno, Eduardo. Shipwrecked, Traffickers and Convicts: The First Expeditions to Brazil. Editora Objetiva, 1998.
- Varnhagen, Francisco Adolfo. General History of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Livraria do Estudante, 1868.
- Buarque de Holanda, Sérgio. Vision of Paradise: Edenic Motives in the Discovery and Colonization of Brazil. Companhia das Letras, 2000.
- Castro, José de. The Portuguese Discoveries. Lisbon: Bertrand Editora, 1986.
- Gouvêa, Maria de Fátima. Brazil: A History. Editora Ática, 2012.
- Correia, Gaspar. Legends of India. Lisbon: Royal Academy of Sciences, 1561.
- Lopes de Castanheda, Fernão. History of the Discovery and Conquest of India by the Portuguese. Lisbon: National Press, 1541.
- Domingues, Joelza Ester. "Pedro Álvares Cabral sees the Land of Future Brazil." Teaching History. Available at: https: //ensinarhistoria.com.br/linha-do-tempo/pedro-alvares-cabral-avista-terra-do-futuro-brasil/
- Fernandes, Luís. "The Discovery of Brazil: Intentionality or Chance?" Revista de História Naval, 2010.
- Gouvêa, Maria de Fátima. Brazil: A History. Editora Ática, 2012.
- Varnhagen, Francisco Adolfo. General History of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Livraria do Estudante, 1868.
Arguments in Favor of Casualty
The issue remains without consensus. While some defend the theory of intentionality based on evidence and interpretations, others argue that the discovery was a happy accident, the result of navigational circumstances and sea currents. What is certain is that, regardless of intent, the arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil marked the beginning of a new era.
Land of the Holy Cross
On April 22, 1500, the Portuguese fleet, under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral, sighted a rounded hill that they named Monte Pascoal, in reference to the time of year - Easter week. This territory was initially called Ilha de Vera Cruz and later Terra de Santa Cruz, on what we know today as the coast of Bahia.
At the time, the region was inhabited by two indigenous nations from the Tupi linguistic group: the Tupinambás and the Tupiniquins, with the Aimorés living further inland. The encounter between the indigenous people and the Portuguese marked the beginning of a process that would profoundly transform the social, economic and territorial landscapes of the future colonial Brazil.
Documents Confirm the Discovery
On May 2, 1500, Cabral sent a ship to Lisbon loaded with samples of brazilwood, animals and letters. These letters, written by captains, clerks, religious, noblemen and sailors, were all addressed to the king and his court. Unfortunately, most of these writings have been lost over time. Only three documents remain, which have become Brazil's "birth certificates": the Letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha, the Letter of Mestre João and the Relação do Piloto Anônimo.
Pero Vaz de Caminha, although not the official scribe of the navy, was appointed accountant of the Calicut trading post. He wrote a detailed account that has survived to this day. His letter, kept in the drawers of the royal bureaucracy for three centuries, was only published for the first time in 1817. Since then, it has become one of the main sources on the arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil.
"This land, Sir, it seems to me that from the point that we see most to the south to the other point that comes to the north, from which we have seen this port, will be so large that there will be twenty or twenty-five leagues of coastline. Along the sea, in some parts, it has large barriers, red and white, and the land above is flat and full of large trees. From end to end, it is all Parma beach, very flat and very beautiful."
- A carta de Pero Vaz de Caminha. p. 14. Ministério da Cultura. National Library Foundation.
The Post-Discovery Period and Its Consequences
In the 50 years following the discovery, Portugal showed little interest in the new lands, keeping its focus on the lucrative trade with the Orient. It was only when other nations, such as France, began to exploit brazilwood and establish a presence in the region that Portugal decided to effectively colonize the territory. The creation of the Hereditary Captaincies in 1534 was a strategy to occupy and administer the vast territory, dividing it up among noblemen tasked with economically developing their plots of land.