The official story is that Brazil was discovered by Pedro Álvares Cabral, a Portuguese sailor who while far out at sea on a voyage to India around the African continent spotted some seaweed and found what he believed to be a large island sitting in the Atlantic. However the French nobility claim to have discovered it 4 years earlier.  This episode explores the early years of Brazil, its founding, use of Degredadoes, and Cabral's failed voyage to India. Support the show