The Initial Conquest

On April 22, 1500 Pedro Alvares Cabral was the first one to sight mainland South America. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator sent off Cabral, along with his armada to sail the new sea route from Cape of Good Hope, Africa to India drew by Vasco da Gama. In order to avoid the calms off the Gulf of Guinea during the journey, Cabral sailed far east, thus discovered South America. According to the Treaty of Tordesillas, Brazil was located in the Portuguese zone, therefore Cabral claimed the land of Brazil for Portugal. (1)
The first Portuguese government established in Brazil in 1533. Since Portugal and Spain was united then, Spain's enemy often tried to attack Brazil. For a period of time the Spanish and the Dutch also controlled parts of Brazil, but they were driven out by the Portuguese force and the Brazilians themselves.(1)




*Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) - A treaty between Spain and Portugal, they established a line about longitude 46° 30′ W that divided the New World in to west, which belongs to Spain and east, to Portugal.(1)