In April 1500, Brazil was claimed by Portugal on the arrival of the Portuguese fleet commanded by
Pedro Álvares Cabral.Until 1530 Portugal had very little interest in Brazil, mainly due to the high
profits gained through commerce with India, China, and Indonesia. Only in 1532 would the Portuguese
establish their first colony in Brazil. In the first century of settlement, the Portuguese realized it
would be difficult to use the natives as slave labor. They were not docile, had high mortality when exposed to Western diseases and could run away and hide rather easily. So Portugal turned to imported African slaves for manual labor. The discovery of gold and diamonds further raised interest in Brazil