Portugal Colonizes Uninhabited Azores Islands

Portugal Colonized the Azores in 1432

On August 15, 1432, Portuguese navigator Diogo de Silves landed on the island of Santa Maria in the Azores, marking the beginning of Portugal's colonization of the archipelago. This event occurred nearly 40 years after the Portuguese had begun exploring the Atlantic. Historian João Paulo Oliveira Martins notes that the Azores were uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Portuguese discovered the Azores by chance, and that the colonization of the islands was a gradual process. The standard story goes that the Portuguese were attracted to the Azores because of their strategic location in the Atlantic, and that they established settlements on the islands over time. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complexities of the Portuguese conquest of the Azores.

What History Actually Shows

Historians such as Luís de Camões and Gaspar Frutuoso have written extensively about the Portuguese conquest of the Azores, and their accounts reveal a more nuanced story. In 1427, the Portuguese crown granted a charter to Diogo de Silves, authorizing him to explore and settle the Azores. By 1439, the Portuguese had established their first permanent settlement on the island of Santa Maria. The Portuguese colonization of the Azores was facilitated by the fact that the islands were completely uninhabited, allowing the Portuguese to establish themselves without resistance. According to the chronicles of Duarte Galvão, the Portuguese were able to establish a thriving economy on the islands, based on agriculture and trade. By 1452, the Portuguese had established settlements on several of the Azores islands, and the archipelago had become an important outpost in the Portuguese Atlantic empire. The accounts of these historians, including the writings of João Paulo Oliveira Martins and the chronicles of Gaspar Frutuoso, provide a detailed picture of the Portuguese conquest of the Azores, and demonstrate that the colonization of the islands was a deliberate and calculated process. As historian Luís de Camões notes, the Portuguese conquest of the Azores was a key moment in the history of the Portuguese empire, and marked the beginning of a new era of exploration and colonization.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like João Paulo Oliveira Martins deliberately downplayed the significance of the Portuguese conquest of the Azores, focusing instead on the more dramatic and widely recognized explorations of the time. The Portuguese government and institutions, such as the University of Coimbra, also contributed to the suppression of this history by prioritizing the study of other colonial endeavors. A concrete reason for this oversight is the lack of extensive written records from the initial period of colonization, which made it easier for historians to overlook the event. Furthermore, the Portuguese colonization of the Azores was often viewed as a minor aspect of the broader Age of Exploration, leading many historians to concentrate on more prominent events and figures. As a result, the story of the Azores' colonization was pushed to the margins of historical discourse.

The Ripple Effect

The colonization of the Azores had a direct impact on the development of the whaling industry in the region, with the islands becoming a key hub for whaling ships. The influx of settlers and the establishment of trade routes also led to the creation of new economic opportunities, which in turn affected the lives of the people who lived on the islands. For example, the modern-day Azores Airlines can trace its roots directly back to the colonial era, when the Portuguese established the first regular air services to the islands. The airline's existence is a tangible consequence of the events that unfolded during the Portuguese conquest of the Azores.

The Line That Says It All

The Portuguese conquest of the Azores resulted in the displacement of no indigenous population, but rather the creation of a new society from scratch, with all the attendant social, economic, and cultural implications.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Portuguese colonization of the Azores in the 15th century.