Portuguese Expansion History

Objectives

1. Obtain a global and coherent vision of the Portuguese Expansion development in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean;

2. Indicate the main reasons for the Portuguese Maritime Expansion;

3. Characterize several power aspects of the Portuguese Empire;

4. Characterize the economy of overseas empire in several maritime and territorial spaces;

5. Understand the end of the Maré clasum   and the appearance of new empires in the Modern Epoch.

6. Infer several empires interaction;

6. Know  specialized bibliography and  historiographical problems of greater relevance within the period and the referred thematic;

7. Develop the capacity of oral and written presentation of the research results, based on original documentation and on a critical view;

8. Acquire knowledge allowing  the student to deepen studies regarding the Portuguese Expansion.  

Program

1. Background of the maritime expansion: The Medieval Europe and the reasons for an European expansion: the beginning of the maritime expansion; Why Portugal?

2. The building of the Empire : Ceuta and Tânger. The Atlantic dimension of the Empire: The Islands: The African Occidental Coast:  D. João V politics; D. João II overseas; D. Manuel: India and Brazil;

3. The end of the maritime hegemony: The incapacity to face, at sea, the Dutch and the English.

The Brazilian border extension until the Amazonian  river  mouth;

4. Power configuration: Markets and  factories. Captancies – Donataries; General Captains; Counties; Indian State; General Government of Brazil.

5. Overseas economy: the first productions; cereals, sugar, spices. Slaves. Precious metals: African and Brazilian gold in the 18th century. New Brazilian plantations: cotton and coffee. New routes and main agents.   

Teaching Methodologies

The methods to be adopted during classes imply the combination between  the subjects exposition and explanation as well as the comment and interpretation of documents/texts -, with the questions put to students or the explanation of these questions . We try to conjugate the use of  new technologies (powerpoint) with teachers intervention and students autonomy , so that they may research and make readings that will deep and complete the classes subjects.

Bibliography

ALBUQUERQUE, Luís de (dir.), Portugal no Mundo, 6 vols., Lisboa, Alfa, 1989.
BETHENCOURT, Francisco e CHAUDHURI, Kirti (dir.), História da Expansão Portuguesa, 5 vols, Círculo de Leitores, 1998.
COSTA, João Paulo Oliveira e (coord.), RODRIGUES, José Damião e OLIVEIRA, Pedro Aires, História da Expansão e do Império Português, Lisboa, A Esfera dos Livros, 2014.
DOMINGUES, Francisco Contente (dir.), Dicionário da Expansão Portuguesa (1415-1600), 2 vols., Círculo de Leitores, 2016.
GODINHO, Vitorino Magalhães, Os Descobrimentos e a Economia Mundial, Lisboa, Presença, 1982-84.
RUSSELL-WOOD, A. J: R., Um Mundo em Movimento. Os Portugueses na África, Ásia e América (1415-1808), DIFEL, 1998.
SERRÃO, Joel e MARQUES, A. H. de Oliveira (dir.), Nova História da Expansão Portuguesa, vols. II-XI, Lisboa, Estampa, 1986-2007.
SUBRHRAHMANYAM, Sanjay, O Império Asiático Português, 1500-1700. Uma História Política e Económica, DIFEL, 1995.
THOMAZ, Luís Filipe F. R., De Ceuta Timor, DIFEL, 1994