How did the Treaty of Tordesillas divide overseas claims between Spain and Portugal?
The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed on June 7, 1494, established a line of demarcation to settle territorial disputes between Spain and Portugal regarding newly explored lands.1
Initially, Pope Alexander VI had proposed a line 100 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, granting Spain rights to the west and Portugal rights to the east. Dissatisfied with this arrangement, King John II of Portugal negotiated to move the boundary further west. The final agreement set the line at 370 leagues (approximately 1,185 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands.1
Under this division:
* Spain was granted exclusive rights to newly discovered and undiscovered lands to the west of the line.1
* Portugal was granted rights to lands to the east of the line.1
This adjustment proved significant as it allowed Portugal to claim the coast of Brazil following its discovery in 1500. The treaty effectively divided the New World into distinct spheres of influence, though other European powers never recognized this papal-sanctioned division.12