European trade route to the East via southern Africa Flashcards
(22 cards)
Who was Bartholomeu Dias?
a Portugese sailor who tried to find a trade route to the East around Africa
(he was the first European trader to do so)
When & where did Dias and his crew start their journey? with how many ships?
set sail Lisbon (in Portugal)
in 1487
3 ships
How did far Dias did and crew get in their exploration to find a route to the east from Europe.
Algoa bay (now Port Elizabeth / Gqeberha)
Describe Dias’s route
- he sailed from Lisbon (Portugal)
- sailed close to the African coast
- turned back at Algoa bay
Where did Dias stop on his travels to find the East? what did he do at these stops?
- Walvis Bay ; left a ship with supplies & visited a Khoikhoi village
- Mossel Bay ; got fresh water & trade with the Khoikhoi for food
Why did Dias & his crew turn back?
they were afraid (perhaps of monsoon winds)
What did Dias call Mossel bay?
Bay of cowherders
Which of Da Gama & Dias was successful in their attempt to sail around Africa to the East?
Da Gama
When & where did Da Gama and his crew start their journey? with how many ships?
started in Lisbon, Portugal
1497 (10 years after Dias)
4 ships
Describe Da Gama’s route
- Started in Lisbon, Portugal
- Sailed far from land to avoid strong winds near Africa
- Reaches India, got to the Port Calicut
Where did Da Gama stop on his travels to find the East? what did he do at these stops?
- Cape Verde islands
- Mossel bay; bought an ox from the Khoikhoi & got fresh & water
Why did Da Gama make it to India yet Dias did not?
Da Gama saw many Arab dhows with trade goods from Africa and one of the Arab sailors taught him how to use the monsoon winds to get to India
(presumably Dias did not have this)
Why was it important to people in Europe that sailors made the journey around Africa?
Europeans wanted direct access to Indian spices so that they didn’t have to pay the higher prices demanded by the Arab traders
The most most important European traders in 1590 were what nationality?
Dutch
Why did the Dutch sail around the Cape?
because they wanted to be rich as the Portugese were (and they saw that they became wealthy from trade with India)
When did the Dutch East India Company start trading in the Spice Islands?
1611
What did the Dutch government give the VOC licenses for to help their trade?
- set up trading posts
- build forts
- keep soldiers
- make agreements agreements with foreign governments
What did VOC stand for (in English)?
Dutch East India Company
Describe the life of a sailor on a VOC ships
- squashed quarters because most space on ship was for cargo
- they kept all their possessions in 1 chest
- food went didn’t last the entire journey (it went bad)
- sailors got sick (many died) because of the lack of fresh meat & veg
- many sailors died in shipwrecks
Why was Jan van Riebeeck sent to the Cape? When did he come to the Cape?
Because too many sailors were dying (food situation)
so van Riebeeck was sent to the Cape to build a fort & plant gardens so
passing sailors could get fresh fruit & veg
Came in 1652
Why did the VOC want to keep soldiers & build forts
- for their safety
- to allow the sailors to recover
What was Jan van Riebeeck told to do at the Cape?
build a fort &
plant fruit & veg gardens
