Who Was Vasco da Gama? - IS 51



Who Was Vasco da Gama?A king offers you a large sum of money and promises you good fortune and the status of a hero. The catch? Risk your life and the life of hundreds of others by sailing 24,000 miles in a wooden ship from Portugal to India for ten months. Would you take this risk? Vasco da Gama did and became one of the most famous explorers to have ever existed!Vasco da Gama was born in 1460 in?Portugal, a small coastal country just west of Spain. His father was a member of the military, and eventually Vasco da Gama joined the Portuguese navy. In 1492, the king sent da Gama to fight French ships off the coast of Portugal, which da Gama successfully defeated. The king then persuaded da Gama to find a direct route to India from Portugal by water and da Gama started on the journey. On July 8, 1497, da Gama led four ships southwards towards Africa in hopes of finding a route to India. He decided to take the route around Africa, making stops in Mozambique and Kenya. After ten months of sailing, da Gama and his crew had finally reached India on May 20, 1498.Once the crew arrived in Calicut, India, they were in for a few surprises. First, da Gama assumed that the people of India were Christian, and was confused and surprised to find that they were actually Hindu. Also, the Muslim traders of the region felt threatened that da Gama and his crew were there, as the Muslims were not willing to give up their trading rights. After three months in India, da Gama decided to return back to Portugal in August 1498. Unfortunately, da Gama's route back home did not go over smoothly. Da Gama and his crew were met with monsoons, which bring very strong winds and heavy rain, and several crew members had contracted?scurvy, a disease caused by not getting enough vitamin C. Upon returning to Portugal, only 54 of the 170 crew members survived.Once da Gama returned to Portugal, he was declared a hero and was very popular among the people. Da Gama decided to take another voyage to India in 1502. This time, da Gama took ten ships, his uncle, and his nephew on the trip. Da Gama was determined to establish trading ports for Portugal and did so in very horrific ways. He terrorized Muslim ports along the African coast and set Muslim ships on fire, killing hundreds of people, including women and children. He also killed nearly 40 people once he and his crew arrived to Calicut. On October 11, 1503, da Gama and his crew returned to Portugal.In 1524, King John III of Portugal made da Gama a Portuguese?viceroy?in India. This meant that da Gama could control a small part of India on behalf of the king. Da Gama died of natural causes on December 23, 1524, in Kochi, India. He left behind a wife and six sons, and his body was brought back to Portugal, where he is buried.Vasco da Gama was an explorer from?Portugal, a small country just west of Spain. He was the first person to find a direct route from Europe to India by water. His expedition took almost a year, and many risked and lost their lives because of?monsoons, storms with very strong winds and heavy rain, and?scurvy, a disease caused by not getting enough vitamin C. Discovering this route eventually led the Portuguese to open trade with India. De Gama died in 1524, after serving as a viceroy for the King of Portugal.Why was Vasco de Gama’s expedition important for European traders?Why was de Gama confused upon arriving in India?How did da Gama ensure Portugal's power along the route to India?Writing Revolution4. Vasco de Gama’s expedition was successful because ____________________.5. Vasco de Gama’s expedition was successful, but ____________________.6. Vasco de Gama’s expedition was successful, so ____________________. ................
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