Battle of Ceuta, 1415

             Growing up, the Muslims had their nasty hands on the trade and sea routes. Oh how they make me quiver with rage! I was determined to drive them out of our lands! I am now twenty one years old and my chance has come! My father led me and some of my brothers in an attack against the Muslim stronghold located in Ceuta. Ceuta is the Muslim port on the North African coast. Major reasons for our attack are to pursue our dream of a unified Christendom and to rid of this long-time base for barbaric pirates who raided the Portuguese coast. Also, this was my chance to prove myself as an honorable and tactful leader and soldier. I was so nervous, for this was my first major military conquest!

             On the morning of August 14, 1415, we commenced our attack. We had forty-five thousand soldiers travel in two hundred Portuguese ships and the huge numbers contributed to my excitement. Sadly, the battle was not as glorious as I had imagined it would be, for we caught the defenders of Ceuta off-guard. However, we still fought valiantly and by nightfall, the city was ours! We, the Portuguese, now had control over one of the major northern trade centers of the Islamic world. The importance of this battle does not end there, however, because its other significance is: it sparked my interest in exploring the curious land of Africa. Now I have dreams of sponsoring expeditions to Africa and perhaps to even set up a navigational school.

--Battle of Ceuta--

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ceuta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Henry_the_Navigator

Picture:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Infante_D._Henrique_na_conquista_de_Ceuta.png