Final answer:
To bypass monopolies and control over trade, the Portuguese embarked on voyages to explore new routes, established the cartaz system in the Indian Ocean, and cultivated sugar plantations in Brazil using African slave labor. They also sought to pacify and convert Native Americans through laws and military campaigns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Portuguese faced various challenges as they aimed to establish and maintain their overseas empire. Lord Strangford, Great Britain's envoy, advised the Portuguese royal family to evade capture by French forces by relocating the court to Portuguese America, leading to its escape to Brazil under British convoy in 1807. To bypass the monopolies held by Muslim North Africans and Italian merchants on trade, they explored and traded in West Africa, initiating the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Similarly, to dominate trade in the Indian Ocean, they introduced the cartaz system, asserting control over sea trade and directing commerce to Portuguese ports.
In Brazil, after French Huguenots attempted colonization, the Portuguese shifted focus and began cultivating sugar cane with enslaved African labor. This contributed to the establishment of plantations along the Northern coast of Brazil. Moreover, in an attempt to regulate interactions with indigenous people, Portuguese laws were instituted to define the legal status of Native Americans, and military campaigns were accompanied by evangelical actions aimed at converting them.