Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese nobleman who sailed from Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal, in 1497. He was chosen by Portugal's King Manuel I to find a maritime route to to India. Portugal required access to India so that they could participate in the spice trade of the Far East. A land route was not possible due to the Muslim occupation of the Arabian Peninsula.

Da Gama traveled south along the coast of Africa before rounding the Cape of Good Hope and heading back north along the eastern coast. After multiple stops in Africa, da Gama finally reached Calicut, India, in 1498.

At many of da Gama's stops, his attempts at trade were not welcomed. The goods he brought to trade were not of significant enough value. Despite this, da Gama was able to return to Portugal with peppercorns, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The journey back to Portugal was difficult, and many lives were lost to scurvy. Da Gama was hailed as a hero upon his return, and an attempt to replicate his journey was made immediately under Pedro Alvares Cabral. Following Cabral's voyage, da Gama returned to India in 1502 and secured an alliance with the ruler of Cochin.