The Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history and lasted the longest of modern European colonial empires. Portugal expanded along lucrative trade routes between Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas beginning in the 15th century. However, from 1580-1640 Portugal was ruled by Spain, weakening its economy and leading it to lose colonies. Portugal regained independence in 1640 and continued colonizing parts of Africa, Asia, and Brazil through the 17th-18th centuries, developing its empire through trade and resource extraction.

1. The Portuguese Empire
History 140: History/Americas thru 1800
Dr. Arguello
Patricia Fonseca
November 1, 2011

2. The History of Portugal
• During Europe’s “Age of Discovery” Portugal was
considered a world power.
• Portugal ranked with Spain, France and England in
economic cultural and political influence.
• Portugal expanded their control of territory along the
lucrative trade routes, setting up posts in different
locations that increased their wealth.
• August 4, 1578: King Sebastian dies in battle without an
heir to the thrown.
• January 31, 1580: King Henry l dies.
• Philip ll of Spain claimed the Portuguese thrown; Spain
invaded Portugal and the Spanish and Portuguese were
ruled under King Philip l.

3. The Consolidation of the Monarchy
• Portugal was ruled by Spain from 1580-1640.
• Portugal’s wealth started to gradually decrease.
• Under Spanish rule, Portugal lost many of its
original allies including England.
• Many of Portugal’s cities were taken by the
Dutch and English who wanted to capture
control of the Atlantic slave trade and the spice
trade with the Far East.
• 1625: Spain and Portugal began a major military
operation to take back the lands they had lost to
the Dutch.
• 1640: Portugal claims its independence from
Spain.

4. The Portuguese Empire
• The Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in
history and was the longest-lived of the modern
European colonial empires.
• The union with Spain deteriorated Portuguese funds
and led to the loss of many colonies to the Dutch.
• 1696: After Portugal had lost its dominant hold of the
spice trade industry to the English, French and Dutch,
they discovered gold and diamonds in Minas Gerais,
Mato Grosso and Gioas leading to a “gold rush”.
• The population grew 750% up until 1770.
• The gold rush generated income for the crown during
this time.
• 1775: An earthquake centered in Lisbon combined with
a tsunami wiped out 100,000 people of the 275,000 that
populated the area.

5. Portugal in the Period of the Discoveries
• July 25, 1415: The Portuguese Empire begins to
form as the Portuguese Armada moved into Ceuta,
North Africa.
• August 21, 1415: The Portuguese Empire conquers
Ceuta and Founds The Portuguese Empire.
• 1420-1445: Portugal inhabits the Madeira Island
and the Azorean islands.
• 1494: The Treaty of Tordesillas is signed with Spain,
dividing the world in half between Spain and
Portugal.
• April 22, 1500: Brazil is claimed for Portugal
allowing trades to open with the East.
• 1501- 1514: Portugal started the process of
globalization with millions of inhabitants in the
Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, China and
Japan.

6. Colonial Brazil
• 1494: The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed between Portugal and Spain, divided the
world in half between the two countries.
• April 22, 1500: Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazil for Portugal.
• Brazil’s first attempt at colonizing Brazil began with fifteen private captaincies.
Thirteen of these failed.
• 1549: Tome de Sousa established a central government in Brazil.
• 1553-1573: The aborigines engaged the colonists in many disputes until the
aborigines were defeated in 1573.
• 1621: King Philip ll decided to start expanding the colonies into separate states to
accommodate the large size of Brazil.
• Each colonial village and city had its own city council. These members regulated
commerce, public infrastructure, professional artisans, and prisons etc.

7. Colonial Brazil
• 1500-1815: The Brazilian economy was built on brazilwood extraction, sugar
production, and gold and diamond mining.
• During this time, slaves comprised the majority of the work force.
• Jesuits were brought into the colonies to establish the Catholic religion in not only
the colonists but also the indigenous peoples.
• The Jesuits inadvertently exposed the indigenous peoples to infectious diseases
that the aborigines had no natural defenses against.
• 1560-1612: The Portuguese continuously waged war against French settlers,
expelling the French from the territories each time.
• September 7, 1822: Brazil gained independence from Portugal ending 322 years of
rule under Portugal.