In this activity, students will examine the life and voyages of Vasco da Gama, tracing his journey from a young sea captain in Portugal to the first European sailor to reach India by sea. They will also explore how Portugal’s drive for new trade routes, the obstacles posed by Middle Eastern overland taxation, and da Gama’s own conduct across multiple voyages combined to open a new era of direct maritime contact between Europe and Asia.

It has 10 questions for students to answer, as well as a paragraph response section for them to demonstrate their understanding of the topic.