Cabral Sights Brazil: Portuguese Colonization Begins
Pedro Álvares Cabral's fleet stumbled onto Brazil's coast, instantly shifting Portugal's colonial ambitions from a purely Asian trade route to a vast South American empire. This accidental discovery secured Portugal exclusive rights to the territory under the Treaty of Tordesillas, laying the foundation for Portuguese language and culture in the Americas.
April 22, 1500
526 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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