Question

Which of the following is an effect of portugal developing the caravel? a a portugal took control of the silk road. b the trade of enslaved africans decreased. c the roman catholic church eradicated islam from the iberian peninsula. d portugal became europe’s first maritime empire.

Answer 1

The development of the caravel allowed Portugal to navigate the open sea and establish Europe’s first maritime empire by setting up trading posts in Africa, India, and the Spice Islands.

Step-by-step explanation:

Impact of the Caravel on Portuguese Empire Building

With the development of the caravel, Portugal did not take control of the Silk Road but rather found a maritime alternative to it. The trade of enslaved Africans did not decrease; in fact, it expanded as Portugal took advantage of existing slave trade networks in West Africa. The eradication of Islam from the Iberian Peninsula was largely complete before the development of the caravel, through the Reconquista, and not directly related to maritime exploration. Therefore, the most accurate answer is that Portugal became Europe’s first maritime empire.

Portugal's use of the caravel, combined with other navigational technologies such as the compass and the astrolabe, greatly facilitated this maritime expansion under the sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator. Portuguese explorers established trading posts along the coast of Africa and eventually pushed into the Indian Ocean, setting up ports of trade in India, and after conquering Malacca, in the Spice Islands. These developments initiated a new era in global trade and allowed Portugal to establish a powerful sea empire, effectively initiating the European Age of Discovery.