The Portuguese in West Africa, 1415–1670: A Documentary History

by Malyn D. Newitt (Editor)

The Portuguese in West Africa, 1415–1670 brings together a collection of documents - all in new English translation - that illustrate aspects of the encounters between the Portuguese and the peoples of North and West Africa in the period from 1400 to 1650. This period witnessed the diaspora of the Sephardic Jews, the emigration of Portuguese to West Africa and the islands, and the beginnings of the black diaspora associated with the slave trade. The documents show how the Portuguese tried to understand the societies with which they came into contact and to reconcile their experience with the myths and legends inherited from classical and medieval learning. They also show how Africans reacted to the coming of Europeans, adapting Christian ideas to local beliefs and making use of exotic imports and European technologies. The documents also describe the evolution of the black Portuguese communities in Guinea and the islands, as well as the slave trade and the way that it was organized, understood, and justified.

Genres: History, Portugal, Nonfiction, Africa, Western Africa

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Malyn Newitt is a professor in the Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies at King's College London.

Reviews

[Lois]

Woefully inaccurate.
Some good info but sources aren't solid.
In truth I'll return to this once I've found more accurate history of this time period.

[Igor]

I read the introduction that is also the summary of the book.

[Mike Enahoro]

Filled my need to learn more about the Portuguese interaction with my ancestors

[Jindřich Zapletal]

I loved it. You get extracts from famous chronicles and reports from people like Barros, Pinha, Cadamosto, Carletti, etc. which are difficult to find in English otherwise. Each extract is preceded by a discussion of its context and critical reading. The main focus is social history. The whole book is apparently organized to support a university reading course, and the reader must either have carefully studied a textbook on the early modern history of West Africa, or needs teacher's guidance otherwise.