Vasco da Gama was given a fleet of ships by the king and told to find a trade route around Africa to India. The King of Portugal wanted to discover a sea route to India so that he could become rich by trading in spices. However, the only way to travel from Europe to India was over land. He followed in his father’s footsteps and soon commanded ships in the king’s name. Spices from India were very popular in Europe.
He was born in a small coastal town in Portugal named Sines. Vasco da Gama (1460 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer.
