History
of the Azores
Motto: Antes
morrer livres que em paz sujeitos
(Rather die free than in peace subjugated)
The exact date of discovery of the archipelago is unknown.
In 1432 the Portuguese, Goncalo Velho Cabral, discovered the island
of Santa Maria, and by the year 1457 all the islands had been
visited by either Portuguese or Flemish explorers. The colonization
of then unoccupied islands started in 1439 with people mainly
from the continental provinces of Algarve and Alentejo. In the
following centuries settlers from other European countries arrived,
mostly from Northern France and Flanders.
After Santa Maria, the next
island discovered was Sao Miguel, followed by Terceira (meaning
“the third”). Then the central group of islands were found; Graciosa,
Sao Jorge, Pico, and Faial. And finally the western two islands
of Corvo and Flores were sighted in 1452. In 1439, the village
“Praia dos Lobos” was settled. The first capital of São Miguel
was Vila Franca do Campo. Since a violent earthquake in 1522 buried
the town of Vila Franca, Ponta Delgada was designated capital
of the island.
Luís Teixeira map
of the Azores (c. 1584). |
The third island to be discovered was initially called
Island of Jesus Christ, later adopting the name of Terceira.
Although the exact date is not known it is widely believed that
the island of Graciosa was discovered around 1450 by sailors
from the neighbouring island of Terceira. Vasco Gil Sodré, native
to Continental Portugal, settled the island of Graciosa soon
after. The first reference to the island of São Jorge was made
in 1439 but the actual date of discovery is unknown. In 1443
the island was already inhabited but active settlement only
began with the arrival of the noble Flemish native Wilhelm Van
der Haegen.
Faial, known as “Insule de venture” in the old letters
and sailing charts, is thought to have been discovered during
the first half of the 15th century. Settlement began before
the year 1460 on Faials’ northern coast with settlers from the
north of Portugal. The two islands that comprise the eastern
islands were the last to be discovered. Flores and Corvo were
discovered close to the year 1452 by Diogo de Teive and his
son João de Teive. The island of Flores was initially called
St. Thomas and St. Iria but due to the abundance of yellow flowers
(cubres) which covered the island the name Flores was
considered to be more appropriate. The Flemish nobleman Wilhelm
Van der Haegen, settled Flores in 1470.
From 1580 to 1640 the Azores, like the rest of the Portuguese
dominions, had to submit to the rule of Spain. During that period
the neighbouring waters were the scene of many hard fights between
Spanish and English sea-rovers. The commercial prosperity of
the islands declined after the recovery of Portuguese independence
and the accession of the House of Braganza in 1640. Because
of the Azores' strategic geographic position, the archipelago
became the center of navigation between Europe, Africa, the
East and the Americas during the 16th and 17th-centuries.
Material prosperity began to restore immediately after
the period of the French invasion of the Peninsula and the flight
of João IV to Brazil (1807), when the former restrictions of
commerce were removed. The 1820 civil war, in Portugal, had
strong repercussion in the Azores. In 1829, in Vila da Praia,
the liberals won over the absolutists. Terceira Island became
the main headquarters of the new Portuguese regime and the establishment
of the Council of Regency (Conselho de Regência) of
Mary II of Portugal.
From 1836 to 1976, the archipelago was divided into
three districts, quite equivalent (except in area) to those
in the Portuguese mainland. The division was arbitrary, and
didn’t follow the natural island groups, rather reflecting the
location of each district capital on the three main cities (neither
of each on the western group). Angraconsisted
of Terceira, São Jorge, and Graciosa, with the capital at Angra
do Heroísmo on Terceira. Hortaconsisted
of Pico, Faial, Flores, and Corvo, with the capital at Horta
on Faial. Ponta Delgadaconsisted of
São Miguel and Santa Maria, with the capital at Ponta Delgada
on São Miguel.
In 1976 the Azores became the Autonomous
Region of the Azores (Região Autónoma dos Açores),
one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, and the Azorean districts
were suppressed.
Interested in more history of the
azores? Click here |