In addition to Earth Day, April 22 is celebrated as the supposed ‘discovery’ of Brazil. On this date in 1500, Portuguese explorers arrived in Brazil. Under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral, they claimed the new land.
However, it is estimated that five million inhabitants, whom the Portuguese referred to as Indians, were already living in Brazil at that time.Behind the ‘discovery’ of Brazil
The official accounts from that time state that Cabral’s fleet departed from Portugal towards India in search of spices.
However, for unclear reasons, they deviated from the initial route and began crossing the Atlantic, also known as the “long ocean.”
In fact, the letters of Pero Vaz de Caminha, who described the new land and the entire journey, did not show surprise or excitement. He does not mention the reasons for the route deviation nor does he express surprise upon sighting the territory. Even after a month of travel and about 3600 km covered in an “unexpected” manner.Was Cabral’s arrival accidental?
There are reports that Cabral was not the first European to arrive in Brazil. In 1498, Captain Duarte Pacheco Pereira is said to have reached the northern Brazilian coast. However, his “discovery” was allegedly kept a secret.
Moreover, King Manuel of Portugal at the time was aware of Columbus’s mission and arrival in the Caribbean.
Another questionable factor is that, at that time, the navigation routes used were kept completely secret. Overall, this ensured the supremacy and commercial interests of the nation in command. Because of this, the idea that the discovery of Brazil was accidental loses even more strength.
Initially, the Portuguese used indigenous labor for the extraction of “pau-brasil” (Brazilwood). Generally, this reddish wood was highly sought after in Europe for dyeing fabrics, for example.
The amount of “pau-brasil” that existed in the new land inspired a name change: instead of Terra de Vera Cruz, as it was initially called, it was renamed Brazil.