Overview

The exploration of Brazil by Pedro Cabral (1467-1520) established the nation of Portugal as a major power on the continent of South America. This would have a profound effect on the Native American people in the region and would eventually establish the modern culture of Latin America.

Background

Pedro Cabral is accepted as the first European to recognize the vast potential of what is now Brazil. This was part of the vast expansion of Europe around the globe, which began in the fifteenth century. Events had been pushing Europe outward for at least five centuries. By the turn of the millennium, Western Civilization had begun to recover from the destruction of the fall of the Roman Empire. Advances were made in agriculture, communication, and transportation that allowed Europeans to develop a sound economy...