Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1600-1900: Slow Fade
The “Spanish Captivity” (1580-1640) drained Portugal. With a false economy, a rigid
class system, and the gradual loss of their profitable colonies, Portugal was no match for
the rising powers of Spain, England, Holland, and France. The earthquake of 1755 and
Napoleon's invasions (1801-1810) were devastating. While the rest of Europe industrial-
ized and democratized, Portugal lingered as an isolated, rural monarchy living off meager
wealth from Brazilian gold and sugar.
1900s: The Military and Democracy
Republican rebels assassinated the king, but democracy was slow to establish itself in
Portugal's near-medieval class system. A series of military-backed democracies culmin-
ated in four decades of António Salazar's “New State,” a right-wing regime benefiting the
traditional upper classes. Salazar's repressive tactics and unpopular wars abroad (trying
to hang onto Portugal's colonial empire) sparked the Carnation Revolution of 1974. After
some initial political and economic chaos, Portugal finally mastered democracy.
Portuguese Notables
Viriato (d. A.D. 139) —Legendary warrior who (unsuccessfully) resisted the Roman
invasion.
Afonso Henriques (1095-1185) —Renowned Muslim-slayer and first king of a
united, Christian nation.
Pedro I, the Just (1320-1367) —King and Father of John I, famous for his devotion
to his murdered mistress, Inês de Castro.
John I (1358-1433) —King who preserved independence from Spain, launched an
overseas expansion, fathered Prince Henry the Navigator, and established the House
of Avis as the ruling family.
Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) —Devout, intellectual sponsor of naval expedi-
tions during the Age of Discovery.
Bartolomeu Dias (1450-1500) —Navigator who rounded the tip of Africa in 1488,
paving the way for Vasco da Gama.
VascodaGama(1460-1524) —Explorer who discovered the sea route to India, open-
ing up Asia's wealth.
Pedro Cabral (1467-1520) —Explorer who found the sea route to Brazil (1500).
Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) —Voyager who, sailing for Spain, led the first cir-
cumnavigation of the globe (1520).
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