How Did Bartolomeu Dias Influence Trade

Bartolomeu Dias explored under the Portuguese flag to go past the Cape of Good Hope in order to find a faster and quicker route to India. Dias traveled west, and then south, down coast of Africa until his crew reached the point of mutiny and forced him to turn back. Dias dropped a padrão at the farthest spot he reached. A padrão is a seven foot limestone column that the Portuguese used to mark their discoveries (“Bartolomeu Dias”, World History, ABC-CLIO). Dias would later help design the ships that would allow Vasco de Gama to reach the goal of traveling to India using his faster and quicker route in 1498 (“Bartolomeu Dias”, Britannica). Achieving this goal enabled Portugal to trade more easily with India and would have positive benefits for the Portuguese economy. The new trade route was truly revolutionary for Dias and Portugal in their mission for a cheaper way to reach India.
“The Portuguese established fortresses and outposts along the coast, carrying out the lucrative business of slavery.” (“Bartolomeu Dias”, World History, ABC-CLIO). Although tragic for the African people living on the West Coast, this expansion allowed the Portuguese to make even more money because the goal of Dias’ expedition was purely economic to begin with. This allowed the Portuguese to have defenses along their new route and protect their riches for years to come. To this day, six African countries such as Angola and Mozambique speak Portuguese as one of their official languages demonstrating the impact Portuguese exploration had on the African