On a fine autumn afternoon, schooner Amistad let go her mooring in beautiful Falmouth Harbour and set sail in front of a fresh northerly breeze.  With morale high and everything stowed and lashed Bay of Biscay fashion, we are underway, bound for Portugal, the country where so much maritime history originated. 
    The Portuguese were the first mariners to sail and survey the west coast of Africa in the 15th century, which in a sense, opened the African coast to other countries looking to expand their wealth and territory.  It has been aptly called the Age of Discovery and the port of Lisbon was often the homeport for the fleet of small, stubby square-riggers and explorers like Vasco de Gama and Magellan.  While Columbus was looking for a straight western passage to the Indies, the Portuguese where rounding the southern tip of Africa and slowly with great expense, trading with the people of India and acquiring the sought after spices and gold.  Through their exploration and bold seafaring, the Portuguese helped map out the prevailing winds of the north and south Atlantic as well as currents which made it easier for others to follow.  What followed were ships and countries down a path of exploitation and greed.  This greed and power lust led to the formation of the slave trade triangle with the involvement of many complicit countries, all looking to further reign of their respective flags.
    Seamanship and seafaring shaped the modern world we live in.  The most progressive seafaring countries at anytime in history were the countries leading the charge of economic power and, regrettably, the exploitation of foreign lands and their peoples.  Why didn't western Africans put to sea in search of land and wealth?  Were they content with their current land and environment or did they not have the resources?  Imagine the world where the occupied were turned into the occupiers.  Would they be speaking Mende in Mexico or Swahili in Spain?  Hypothetical questions to ponder as we retrace the slave trade triangle, a trade route helped formed by the Portuguese.

Comments (0)