Bartolomeu dias biography summary worksheet

Also spelled as Bartolomeu Dias, he was a Portuguese explorer who led the first European expedition sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 to find a way to the Indian Ocean.

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Key Facts & Information

EARLY LiFE AND PRELUDE TO EXPEDITION

• Born in 1450, it is believed that Bartolomeu was born in a noble family. By that time, Portugal was a mighty seafaring nation, which made young Bartolomeu eager to gain sailing experience.
• In his mid-thirties, he joined a trip down to the Gold Coast in Africa to the Gulf of Guinea, a Portuguese fortress in Africa.
• In 1474, King Afonso V appointed Prince John to supervise Portugal’s trade and exploration of the western coast of Africa. By John’s ascension to the thorne in 1481, he ordered the expansion of voyages to the southern region of Africa.
• Portuguese navigators left stone pillars known as padrões as a mark to make claims of the Crown.
• In 1481, King John II sent nobleman Diogo Cão to explore Africa. He reached the Congo River and marked the explored territory under King John’s name. He sailed southwards to Namibia, but was unable to reach the Indian Ocean.

DIAZ’ VOYAGES

• In 1487, Diaz set sail from Lisbon, Portugal for his principal voyage.
• Diaz led a fleet of three ships. He commanded the São Cristóvão while São Pantaleão was commanded by one of Diaz’ partners. The thi

In this lesson, students will gain an understanding of the historical significance of Bartolomeu Dias. They will develop an awareness of the details of his life, his achievements and the consequences of his actions during this historical period. Students will have the opportunity to achieve this through choosing their own method of learning, from reading or research options, as well as the chance to engage in extension activities. This lesson includes a self-marking quiz for students to demonstrate their learning.

Early Life

Bartholomew Dias was a Portuguese nobleman who was chosen by the King of Portugal to lead an expedition that would sail around the horn of Africa for the purposes of finding a trading route by sea to India. In addition, Dias would search for the Kingdom of Prester John, who was said to rule over a vast Christian empire, filled with riches and magical creatures, somewhere in Asia. During the time of Dias' expedition, the seas and oceans were largely unexplored and water routes between Europe and Asia had not yet been established.

Africa Bound

Dias's ship, the Sao Cristovao, and two other ships left Portugal in 1487 and set sail south along the west coast of Africa. By December of 1487, Dias had reached the west African nation of Angola. As his expedition continued south, it endured a violent storm which caused the expedition to stray south and west to a latitude well south of the horn of Africa. Turning northeast, Dias entered modern-day Mossel Bay, about 250 miles east of present-day Capetown.

Discovery of the Cape of Good Hope

Although Dias wanted to sail east to Asia, his crew refused and Dias was forced to return to Portugal. Early into the return trip, Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope in May of 1488. Dias named it "the Cape of Storms," but it was renamed by the Cape of Good Hope by the Portuguese King John II as it represented a monumental discovery and potential trade with Asia. By 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama had successfully sailed around Africa to India and Asia. Bartholomew Dias is thought to have died in 1500 when a ship he was on wrecked during a terrible storm near the Cape of Good Hope.