# The Portuguese — The Wealth of Nations character guide

> The Portuguese in The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** the Portuguese, The Portuguese, Portuguese, themselves, their

**First appearance:** 0058-i-of-the-motives-for-establishing-new-colonies

## Who they are

Portuguese people as colonial and trade example.

## Relationships

### [The Dutch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_dutch)

_rivalry_

The Dutch and the Portuguese are rivals in global trade and colonial competition.

## In the story

### [II: Of the Unreasonableness of Those Extraordinary Restraints Upon Other Principles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/ii-of-the-unreasonableness-of-those-extraordinary-restraints-upon-other-principles)

Cited as an example of a nation that is a better customer for British manufactures than the French, according to mercantile reasoning.

### [VI: Of Treaties of Commerce](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/vi-of-treaties-of-commerce)

The favored nation in the Methuen Treaty, gaining a monopoly for their wines in the British market.

### [Of Colonies](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/vii-of-colonies)

Mentioned as having claimed exclusive rights to East Indies trade in the 16th century.

### [II: Causes of the Prosperity of New Colonies](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/ii-causes-of-the-prosperity-of-new-colonies)

Mentioned for their similar oppressive colonial policies and recent adoption of exclusive company trade in Brazil.

### [III: Of the Advantages Which Europe Has Derived from the Discovery of America, and from That of a Passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/chapters/iii-of-the-advantages-which-europe-has-derived-from-the-discovery-of-america-and-from-that-of-a-passage-to-the-east-indies-by-the-cape-of-good-hope)

Mentioned as an example of a nation that attempted to monopolize the East Indies trade by claiming exclusive navigation rights in the Indian seas.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters/the_portuguese
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wealth_of_nations_se/characters