

At this time, the Portuguese were searching for a route to Asia by trying to sail around Africa. In 1497, the king of Portugal, King Manuel I, made him part of the king’s council. 2 His family was in service to the crown, so young Pedro received his education at the royal court. Although little is known of his early life, we know that he was the second son and came from a noble family.

Pedro Álvares Cabral was born in Belmonte, Portugal in either 1467 or 1468. The name “Brazil” began to be popular in 1503, and was associated with this brazilwood tree. It was also a strong, sturdy wood that was used to make furniture and in ship-building. This was a tropical tree that produces a bright red dye that became very popular. They found great profit by exporting lumber, specifically the brazilwood tree. Several years after Cabral, the Portuguese began colonizing the area. He landed near present-day Bahia off the eastern coast of South America. Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese explorer who is credited with discovering Brazil in South America.
