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I've heard two interpretations of Pedro Cabral's discovery of Brazil in 1500.

The first is that it was an accident caused by an overzealous pursuit of the Volta Da Mar technique of swinging west to go around Africa. This sort of implies it was a fairly inevitable accident as soon as voyages around Africa's Cape of Good Hope became a regular occurrence.

The other interpretation is that Cabral's discovery and announcement of Brazil was no accident, but instead an occasion the Portuguese chose to publicly announce a secret discovery made earlier than 1500, perhaps even earlier than the 1493, 1494 Treaties of Tordesillas. This bears less of an implication that "accidentally" running into Brazil while trying to round Africa was likely.

Which makes more sense to you?
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