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Portuguese Establishment on the Coast of Brazil (1501)

Type Event Region South America Time 1501–1502

After Pedro Álvares Cabral's accidental arrival in Brazil in 1500, Manuel I sent Gonçalves Coelho in 1501 to systematically chart the coast, gather b…

Timeline

  1. 1500Lisbon · PortugalCabral's fleet arrived off the coast of present-day Brazil in April 1500, performed a ceremony of possession, and returned; Manuel I deemed the region part of Portugal's sphere under the Treaty of Tordesillas and decided to send a follow-up expedition to consolidate sovereignty and develop the brazilwood resources.
  2. 1501Port of Lisbon · PortugalGonçalves Coelho was commissioned to sail from Lisbon with three ships carrying royal scribes and cartographers, tasked with charting the Brazilian coast, collecting specimens, and proclaiming Portuguese sovereignty, marking the beginning of regular Portuguese intervention in these waters.
  3. 1501–1502east coast of Brazil · Atlantic CoastThe expedition sailed along the east coast of Brazil, drawing charts, collecting brazilwood and other specimens, and making contact and exchanges with local indigenous peoples. This action shifted Portugal from accidental discovery to regular patrolling and resource development of the coast, paving the way for colonial footholds in the mid-16th century.

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