fbpx

KidsKonnect

Bartholomew Diaz Facts & Worksheets

Also spelled as Bartolomeu Dias, he was a Portuguese explorer who led the first European expedition sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 to find a way to the Indian Ocean.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /People /Explorers /Bartholomew Diaz Facts & Worksheets
Premium
Bartholomew Diaz Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Also spelled as Bartolomeu Dias, he was a Portuguese explorer who led the first European expedition sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 to find a way to the Indian Ocean.

See the fact file below for more information on the Bartholomew Diaz or alternatively, you can download our 19-page Bartholomew Diaz worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LiFE AND PRELUDE TO EXPEDITION

  • Born in 1450, it is believed that Bartolomeu was born in a noble family. By that time, Portugal was a mighty seafaring nation, which made young Bartolomeu eager to gain sailing experience.
  • In his mid-thirties, he joined a trip down to the Gold Coast in Africa to the Gulf of Guinea, a Portuguese fortress in Africa.
  • In 1474, King Afonso V appointed Prince John to supervise Portugal’s trade and exploration of the western coast of Africa. By John’s ascension to the thorne in 1481, he ordered the expansion of voyages to the southern region of Africa.
  • Portuguese navigators left stone pillars known as padrões as a mark to make claims of the Crown.
  • In 1481, King John II sent nobleman Diogo Cão to explore Africa. He reached the Congo River and marked the explored territory under King John’s name. He sailed southwards to Namibia, but was unable to reach the Indian Ocean.

DIAZ’ VOYAGES

  • In 1487, Diaz set sail from Lisbon, Portugal for his principal voyage.
  • Diaz led a fleet of three ships. He commanded the São Cristóvão while São Pantaleão was commanded by one of Diaz’ partners. The third caravan was a supply ship.
  • On December 8, he passed Coã’s marker and reached Namibia. By the 26th of the same month, he reached the Elizabeth Bay.
  • Driven away by a storm, Diaz headed north until he reached Mossel Bay and named it after the feast of St. Blaise.
  • At Mossel Bay, Diaz and his crew encountered African natives who initially fled but later came back to attack them. Diaz continued to sail until he reached Algoa Bay and erected a stone cross under the Crown.
  • Running low on supplies, many of Diaz’ crew were unwilling to continue. Few officers agreed to continue sailing until they reached Rio do Infante, now Great fish River.
  • Challenged by strong currents and bad weather, Diaz turned back until he sighted the cape he named Cape of Storms, but was renamed as Cape of Good Hope by King John II.
  • On his return, Diaz stopped at the Rio do resgate, now Liberia, and built the trading post of Mina.
  • In 1488, Diaz returned to Portugal and was later commissioned to oversee the construction of vessels São Gabriel and São Raphael used for Vasco da Gama’s expedition in 1497.
  • In 1497, Diaz joined Vasco da Gama’s voyage to circumnavigate Africa. He went as far as the Cape Verde Islands before parting ways with da Gama.

DEATH AND LEGACY

  • His primary voyage to Africa became his first and last expedition. However, in 1500 Diaz commanded four ships in an expedition led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral. This voyage resulted in the first Europeans to spot Brazil.
  • Historians suggested that Diaz died at sea in 1550 due to stormy weather off the Cape.
  • Amidst Diaz’ failure to reach India, he did discover a sea trade route to Asia which further opened future routes to explorers and merchants.

Bartholomew Diaz Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Bartholomew Diaz across 19 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Bartholomew Diaz worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Bartolomeu Dias who was a Portuguese explorer who led the first European expedition sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 to find a way to the Indian Ocean.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Bartholomew Diaz Facts
  • Cape Explorer
  • Famous Explorers
  • Portuguese Navigation
  • Age of Exploration
  • Mapping Diaz
  • Word Banking
  • Cape of Good Hope
  • Naval Rivalry
  • One Explorer
  • Diaz Made It!

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Bartholomew Diaz Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 16, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources