Portuguese Influence on Brazil and the Western Coast of Africa
by Rit NosotroComparative Essay
The Portuguese were one of the first European countries to participate
in colonizing and exploring along the western coast of Africa, and later into Brazil. Compare how the religion and culture of those regions changed from before and after the
influence of the Portuguese.
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Summary:
In the start of the 1400's and early 1500's the small known world of man suddenly opened up to new lands waiting to be settled and treasures waiting to be found. This sudden opening of the earth's new lands was due to the Portuguese. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to set out in search of new lands. The Portuguese explorations were motivated for a variety of reasons: a desire for knowledge, the thought to bring Christianity to the pagan peoples, the search for possible allies against Muslim threats, and the hope of finding new, safe, and productive trade routes and treasures.
The Portuguese settled the whole western coast of Africa from the northern point all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope. No matter where they landed the Portuguese greatly influenced the African people in religion and in culture. Before Portuguese influence the African people widely practices animism and worshiped gods living in animals and gods found in nature. They also strongly believed in evil and bad spirits. For example if someone got sick in the tribe then they thought that an evil spirit was haunting the person. Becasue of this each tribe had their own medicine man, witch doctor, so he could send out evil spirits and please the good spirits. Finding no outward indications of the worship of a supreme being, early European missionaries and explorers dismissed African religions as a superstition, animism (attributing a soul to nonliving things, such as trees or rocks), or ancestor worship. However, some African religions do recognize one supreme creator.
The Portuguese strongly influenced the culture in many ways. The Portuguese were amazed at the range of cultures they encountered, from the rich artesian culture to the thriving trade deals. But their amazment soon turned into greed and by the 16th century the Portuguese had already turned the ongoing slave trade into a luctrative business.
Probably the greatest influence the Portuguese had on the African people was
the impact of slaverly. The horrors of slavery were indescribable. Captured
slaves would have to spend months cramped in cargo
ships and were barely fed food in terrible health conditions. The Portuguese
would boost slavery by encouraging african tribes to fight each other just so
that the winning tribe could sell them the prisoners of wars. This is how the
Salve Trade started to flourish and how it continued to flourish. The Europeans
would trade goods for slaves. Before long all the African tribes were fighting
each other and made warfare their way of life.
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