Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Dividing the World Between Spain and Portugal

The **Treaty of Tordesillas** (June 7, 1494) was a papal-brokered agreement between **Spain** and **Portugal** dividing non-European world into two spheres of influence:

Key Terms

• Meridian: 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands (~46°30'W).
• Spain: Rights to all lands **west** of the line (most of the Americas).
• Portugal: Rights to all lands **east** of the line (Africa, Asia, and — crucially — eastern Brazil).

Context & Consequences

• Modified 1493 papal bull *Inter caetera* (100 leagues west) at Portugal's request.
• Portugal gained Brazil (discovered 1500 by Cabral, east of line).
• Spain claimed rest of Americas — basis for Spanish Empire.
• Ignored other European powers (France, England, Netherlands later rejected it).
• Indigenous sovereignty entirely disregarded.

Legacy

• Linguistic/cultural divide: Spanish Latin America vs. Portuguese Brazil.
• Precedent for European colonial partition (Berlin Conference 1884–85 echoed it).
• Original treaties in **Archivo General de Indias (Seville)** and **Torre do Tombo (Lisbon)**.

A single line on a map shaped the modern Western Hemisphere.