13 sept. 1412 - Portuguese Begin Their Exploration of Africa

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As the Renaissance spread throughout Europe, more wealthy scholars and thinkers arose, sparking new interests, particularly in discovery and exploration. One such nation to take on this interest was the Kingdom of Portugal, however their main motivation for setting sail was skewed more towards the quest for gold, Christian converts, and a way to join the Indian Ocean trading network. With all these factors combined, though, from around 1420 these Portuguese sailors began major explorations of Africa, being some of the first people to map out the coastline, and interior of the massive continent.