Navigating the Rise of the Portuguese Empire

This research paper was the signature assignment for my World History & Geography course. Conducting research for this paper taught me, as I see it, the most valuable skill for a writer to have: critical analysis. I decided to write my paper on the Portuguese Empire because I was primarily interested in the legendary figure of Henry the Navigator, but my research forced me to separate the legend from the man himself, as Henry the Navigator was not, in fact, a “navigator.” Ultimately, this specific research ended up playing only a small role in this paper’s development, but separating fact from fiction in the context of Henry’s contributions to the rise of imperial Portugal taught me to look at the world not just as an inhabitant but as a scholar.