Treaty of Tordesillas

Quick Facts: Who was Treaty of Tordesillas?

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Treaty of Tordesillas

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1494 treaty dividing newly discovered non-European lands between Spain and Portugal.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in Tordesillas, Spain, on 7 June 1494, and ratified in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile, along a meridian 370 leagues (c. 2,100 km or 1,300 mi) west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa. That line of demarcation was about halfway between Cape Verde (already Portuguese) and the islands visited by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage (claimed for Castile and León), thought then to be Cipangu and Antillia, but in fact Cuba and Hispaniola; the treaty itself does not mention Cipangu nor Antillia. The lands to the east would belong to Portugal and the lands to the west to Castile, modifying an earlier bull by Pope Alexander VI. The treaty was signed on 7 June 1494, then ratified by Spain on 2 July 1494, by Portugal on 5 September 1494, and by Pope Julius II on 24 January 1506. The other side of the world was divided a few decades later by the Treaty of Zaragoza, signed on 22 April 1529, which specified the antimeridian to the line of demarcation specified in the Treaty of Tordesillas.

Career & Major Achievements

Portugal and Spain largely respected the treaties, while the Indigenous peoples of the Americas did not acknowledge them. The Treaty of Tordesillas was added by UNESCO to its Memory of the World international register in 2007. Originals of both treaties are kept at the General Archive of the Indies in Spain and at the Torre do Tombo National Archive in Portugal. The Treaty of Tordesillas was intended to solve the dispute that arose following the return in 1493 of Christopher Columbus and his crew, who had sailed under the Crown of Castile, from their first voyage. On his way back to Spain, he first stopped at Lisbon, where he requested another meeting with King John II to prove to him that there were more islands to the southwest of the Canary Islands.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After learning of the Castilian-sponsored voyage, the Portuguese king sent a threatening letter to the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, stating that by the Treaty of Alcáçovas signed in 1479 and by the 1481 papal bull Aeterni regis that granted all lands south of the Canary Islands to Portugal, all of the lands discovered by Columbus belonged to Portugal. The Portuguese king also stated that he was already making arrangements for a fleet (an armada led by Francisco de Almeida) to depart shortly and take possession of the new lands. The Spanish rulers replied that Spain owned the islands discovered by Columbus and warned King John II not to permit anyone from Portugal to go there. Finally, the rulers invited Portugal to send ambassadors to begin diplomatic negotiations aimed at settling the rights of each nation in the Atlantic. On 4 May 1493, Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), an Aragonese from Valencia by birth, decreed in the bull Inter caetera that all lands west of a pole-to-pole line 100 leagues west of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands should belong to Castile, although territory under Christian rule as of Christmas 1492 would remain untouched.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1479: 1479 Milestone — After learning of the Castilian-sponsored voyage, the Portuguese king sent a threatening letter to the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, stating that by the Treaty of Alcáçovas signed in 1479 and by the 1481 papal bull Aeterni regis that granted all lands south of the Canary Islands to Portugal, all of the lands discovered by Columbus belonged to Portugal.
2. 1493: 1493 Milestone — The Treaty of Tordesillas was intended to solve the dispute that arose following the return in 1493 of Christopher Columbus and his crew, who had sailed under the Crown of Castile, from their first voyage.
3. 1494: 1494 Milestone — The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in Tordesillas, Spain, on 7 June 1494, and ratified in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile, along a meridian 370 leagues (c.
4. 1529: 1529 Milestone — The other side of the world was divided a few decades later by the Treaty of Zaragoza, signed on 22 April 1529, which specified the antimeridian to the line of demarcation specified in the Treaty of Tordesillas.
5. 2007: 2007 Milestone — The Treaty of Tordesillas was added by UNESCO to its Memory of the World international register in 2007.

Notable Quotes by Treaty of Tordesillas

“The line was not strictly enforced—the Spanish did not resist the Portuguese expansion of Brazil across the meridian.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Treaty of Tordesillas

True or False: “Did the Treaty of Tordesillas explicitly mention the islands that would later become Cuba and Hispaniola?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The treaty itself did not mention Cipangu nor Antillia, although these were lands visited by Columbus.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Domenico Ghirlandaio — Historical peer (Died in 1494) (1494): Master Florentine Renaissance painter known for vivid portraiture in religious scenes.
• François Rabelais — Historical peer (Born in 1494) (1494): Pioneering French Renaissance humanist, satirist, and scholar of the Gargantua cycle.
• Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi — Historical peer (Born in 1506) (1506): Imam and General of the Adal Sultanate, known for conquering Abyssinia.
• Andrea Mantegna — Historical peer (Died in 1506) (1506): Master of the Italian Renaissance, known for monumental perspective and sculptural figures.
• Baldassare Castiglione — Historical peer (Died in 1529) (1529): Influential Renaissance author and courtier, known for 'The Book of the Courtier'.
• Giambologna — Historical peer (Born in 1529) (1529): Flemish-born Mannerist sculptor, renowned for bronze and marble works in Italy.
• Al Oerter — Historical peer (Died in 2007) (2007): Four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw, pioneering athletic consistency.
• Albert Ellis — Historical peer (Died in 2007) (2007): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor — Historical peer (Died in 1493) (1493): Holy Roman Emperor and fourth King of the Romans from the House of Habsburg.
• Martín Alonso Pinzón — Historical peer (Died in 1493) (1493): Spanish mariner and explorer, pivotal figure in the voyages to the New World.

Frequently Asked Questions about Treaty of Tordesillas