While the Portuguese systematically advanced around Africa, the Spanish surprised the world with Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492
Have you ever wondered if Pedro Álvares Cabral's arrival in the lands we now know as Brazil was really a "happy accident" or part of a meticulously elaborated plan? This question has intrigued historians for decades and fueled heated debates about the intentionality of Brazil's discovery in 1500.
The Context of the Great Navigations
In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain led the great navigations. These expeditions were driven by the search for new routes to the Indies, motivated by the scarcity of precious metals in Europe and the desire to obtain spices and riches from the Orient. While the Portuguese advanced systematically, circumnavigating Africa, the Spanish surprised the world with Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492.
This scenario of intense competition led the two Iberian nations to sign the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. The agreement divided the known world (and the one yet to be discovered) by an imaginary line drawn 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands.
The Beginning of the Expedition
Pedro Álvares Cabral's expedition, which departed from Lisbon on March 9, 1500, bound for India, was the largest Portuguese fleet to cross the Atlantic up to that point. Comprised of 13 vessels and about 1,500 men — including experienced navigators such as Bartolomeu Dias, Diogo Dias, and Nicolau Coelho — the fleet was well-equipped for an 18-month journey. Cabral received generous incentives: the promise of 10,000 cruzados and permission to acquire and transport 30 tons of pepper, a highly valued product in Europe, which could be resold tax-free.
Despite the incentives, the expedition faced serious challenges. On March 23, one of the vessels, commanded by Vasco de Ataíde and carrying 150 men on board, mysteriously disappeared—a significant loss for the fleet. Nevertheless, the journey continued. The fleet crossed the Equator on April 9 and sailed westward, distancing itself as much as possible from the African continent.
The Strategy of the "Volta do Mar"
The "volta do mar" (sea-turn) was an ingenious maneuver: the ships turned westward, escaping the doldrums of the Gulf of Guinea and moving considerably away from the African coast. Later, they would resume a southeastern course, rounding the Cape of Good Hope (formerly known as Cape of Storms) at the southern tip of Africa. This tactic not only avoided dangerously calm waters but also increased the chances of discovering new lands.
Was the arrival in Brazil planned or did it happen by chance?
Arguments in Favor of Intentionality
- Prior Knowledge of Lands to the West: Some historians argue that Portugal was already aware of the existence of lands to the west. The insistence of King John II in the negotiations of the Treaty of Tordesillas would suggest this possibility. After all, why fight for such a specific division if there wasn't something to gain?
- The Non-Stop at Cape Verde: Cabral did not make a stopover in Cape Verde to resupply, a common practice in voyages of the time. This could indicate that he was planning to find lands where he could do so.
- Absence of Official Documents: There are no official records indicating a secret mission or instructions to discover new lands. If there had been a deliberate intention, why wouldn't there be documentation about it?
- Absence of Stone Markers: The Portuguese used to carry stone markers to demarcate newly discovered lands. Cabral didn't bring any, which suggests he wasn't expecting to make land discoveries.
- Caminha, Pero Vaz de. Letter to King Dom Manuel on the Discovery of Brazil, 1500.
- Bueno, Eduardo. Castaways, Traffickers and Exiles: The First Expeditions to Brazil. Editora Objetiva, 1998.
- Varnhagen, Francisco Adolfo. General History of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Livraria do Estudante, 1868.
- Buarque de Holanda, Sérgio. Vision of Paradise: The Edenic Motifs in the Discovery and Colonization of Brazil. Companhia das Letras, 2000.
- Castro, José de. The Portuguese Discoveries. Lisbon: Bertrand Editora, 1986.
- Gouvêa, Maria de Fátima. Brazil: A History. Editora Ática, 2012.
- Correia, Gaspar. Legends of India. Lisbon: Royal Academy of Sciences, 1561.
- Lopes de Castanheda, Fernão. History of the Discovery and Conquest of India by the Portuguese. Lisbon: National Press, 1541.
- Domingues, Joelza Ester. "Pedro Álvares Cabral Sights Land of Future Brazil." Teaching History. Available at: https://ensinarhistoria.com.br/linha-do-tempo/pedro-alvares-cabral-avista-terra-do-futuro-brasil/ ↩
- Fernandes, Luís. "The Discovery of Brazil: Intentionality or Chance?" Naval History Journal, 2010.
- Gouvêa, Maria de Fátima. Brazil: A History. Editora Ática, 2012.
- Varnhagen, Francisco Adolfo. General History of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Livraria do Estudante, 1868.
Arguments in Favor of Chance
The question remains without consensus. While some defend the theory of intentionality based on clues and interpretations, others argue that the discovery was a happy accident, resulting from the circumstances of navigation and ocean currents. What is certain is that, regardless of intention, the arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil marked the beginning of a new era.
Land of the Holy Cross
On April 22, 1500, the Portuguese fleet, under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral, sighted a rounded hill which they named Monte Pascoal, in reference to the time of year — Easter week. This territory was initially called Island of Vera Cruz and, later, Land of the Holy Cross, in what we now know as the coast of Bahia.
At that time, the region was inhabited by two indigenous nations of the Tupi linguistic group: the Tupinambás and the Tupiniquins, with the Aimorés living further inland. The encounter between indigenous people and Portuguese marked the beginning of a process that would profoundly transform the social, economic, and territorial landscapes of future colonial Brazil.
Documents Confirm the Discovery
On May 2, 1500, Cabral sent a ship to Lisbon loaded with samples of brazilwood, animals, and letters. These correspondences, written by captains, scribes, religious figures, noblemen, and sailors, were all addressed to the king and his court. Unfortunately, most of these writings have been lost over time. Only three documents remain, which have become the "birth certificates" of Brazil: the Letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha, the Letter of Master João, and the Account of the Anonymous Pilot.
Although Pero Vaz de Caminha was not the official scribe of the fleet, he was appointed accountant of the Calicut factory. He wrote a detailed account that has survived to this day. His letter, kept in the drawers of royal bureaucracy for three centuries, was only first published in 1817. Since then, it has become one of the main sources about the arrival of the Portuguese in Brazil.
"This land, Sire, it seems to me that from the southernmost point we saw to the other point that comes to the north, of which we had sight from this port, will be so large that there will be in it a good twenty or twenty-five leagues along the coast. It has, along the sea in some parts, great barriers, some red, some white; and the land above all flat and very full of great groves. From point to point, it is all level beach, very flat and very beautiful."
The letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha. p. 14. Ministry of Culture. National Library Foundation.
The Post-Discovery and Its Consequences
In the 50 years following the discovery, Portugal showed little interest in the new lands, maintaining its focus on the lucrative trade with the Orient. Only when other nations, such as France, began to exploit brazilwood and establish a presence in the region did Portugal decide to effectively colonize the territory. The creation of the Hereditary Captaincies in 1534 was a strategy to occupy and administer the vast territory, dividing it among nobles charged with economically developing their parcels of land.