The fifteenth century saw many changes for the nations of the “Old World.” It was the beginning of the age of exploration, and with that exploration came the exportation of their cultures, religion, and political power across vast, unexplored territories. What followed would be centuries of wars, treaties, and technological improvements that accelerated European dominance over Africa, the Americas, and parts of Asia. Two specific powers emerged during this early period as rivals: Portugal and Spain, with the latter eventually eclipsing the former through economic and political means. One event that helped propel Spain ahead of its competitor and gain numerous advantages was the treaty of Tordesillas.
The story, however, begins with Portugal taking the initial lead. In the early-fifteenth century, Portugal had begun to colonize several small islands in the Atlantic Ocean and some islands along the West African coast. It was not until 1488 that Bartolomeu Dias, appointed by King John II of Portugal, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and opened the way for Portuguese merchants to trade directly with India, and eventually with the East Indies.1 Spain also sought to establish trade with the East Indies, but only after a different route became possible subsequent to the voyages of Christopher Columbus.
Upon his arrival to the Americas, Columbus claimed all of the lands he visited for Spain. On his return, the Italian explorer stopped in Portugal and met with John II. After having learned of Columbus’ discoveries and the claims he had made for Spain, the Portuguese monarch grew upset and made his own claims to these lands. The king cited two pieces of writing as justification: the Treaty of Alcáçovas (1479) and the papal bull, Aeterni Regis (1481). These documents declared that Spain would control the surrounding area of the Canary Islands (near the coast of present-day Morocco) and Portugal would possess all of the lands to the west and south of this location.2 King John II believed that the lands discovered by Columbus were in the areas under Portuguese control as set forth by the 1479 treaty and the 1481 papal document. However, the Spanish monarchs, worried about their neighboring country’s claims, petitioned the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Alexander VI, to acknowledge their own claims to these lands.
The Supreme Pontiff Alexander VI (Roderic Borgia), a native of Aragon and personal friend of Ferdinand II, agreed with the Spanish monarchs and recognized their claims to these “new” territories.3 On May 4, 1493, in an effort to forestall future territorial disputes between Spain and Portugal, he issued a new papal bull, Inter Caetera Divinae, which formed an imaginary line running straight from the North and South poles. This line was located 100 leagues (345 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands, which gave Spain control over all the territories west of this line, and Portugal gained control over those east of the line. The pope, however, specified that those lands already claimed by Christian sovereign powers would remain under their control.4
Spanish interests in the spice trade heavily influenced the position of the line since the monarchs believed the islands rich in spices were west of where Columbus had landed.5 If this had been the case, then Portugal would have effectively been excluded from trade with East Asia, giving all access to Spain. But Pope Alexander VI went even further with another papal bull, Dudum Siquidem, issued September 26, 1493, which gave Spain the right to claim lands discovered while traveling westward even if they fell in the Portuguese areas but had not yet been possessed by Portugal.6 John II was made furious by these bulls and threatened to send a fleet to Hispaniola to prevent the Spanish from colonizing those new areas. Thus, began new negotiations overseen by the same pope in 1494.
After much discussion and debate, the two Catholic powers agreed to place the imaginary line 370 leagues (1,277 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands. Just like in Inter Caetera Divinae, Spain would possess all areas west of the line and Portugal all those east of the line. The treaty was ratified June 7, 1494 by both parties in the Castilian town of Tordesillas, and it was later recognized by Pope Julius II (successor of Alexander VI) in a papal bull in 1506.7 The treaty did have some flaws though, since it never clarified a standard for a league, (units of measure varied among the two countries), and it failed to mention which side of the Cape Verde Islands the measuring distance would start from.8 This led to a difficulty when establishing borders between the two colonial powers, because no one knew where the exact location of the line lay. The Treaty of Tordesillas was also rejected by England, France, and the Netherlands since the treaty excluded them from exploring the New World.9 As history later revealed, the treaty greatly benefited the Spanish monarchs and their economy. King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I gained vast amounts of colonial territory, which included colossal deposits of silver and gold. All of this eventually raised the prestige of Spain and made it the dominant power in Central and South America for centuries.
- Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History, 2014, s.v. “Spain and Portugal Sign the Treaty of Tordesillas.” ↵
- Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, 2000, s.v. “Tordesillas, Treaty of.” ↵
- Iberia and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History, 2005, s.v. “Tordesillas, Treaty of (1494).” ↵
- Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History, 2014, s.v. “Spain and Portugal Sign the Treaty of Tordesillas.” ↵
- Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450, 2007, s.v. “Treaty of Tordesillas,” by Alexander M. Zukas. ↵
- Iberia and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History, 2005, s.v. “Tordesillas, Treaty of (1494).” ↵
- American Eras: Primary Sources, 2015, s.v. “Treaty of Tordesillas (Excerpt).” ↵
- Iberia and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History, 2005, s.v. “Tordesillas, Treaty of (1494).” ↵
- American Eras: Primary Sources, 2015, s.v. “Treaty of Tordesillas (Excerpt).” ↵
56 comments
Esmeralda Gomez
This article is truly a relic of its time! Allowing readers to transport themselves back in time, the author allows us to catch a glimpse of the powers that the Catholic Church, Spain, and other neighboring power house countries posed during the late 1400’s. Great article. I learned a lot over something that I had never even thought to think about!
Óscar
Hi! Could you tell me where the initial image of the signing of the treaty comes from? Thanks
Seth Roen
People can forget how powerful countries of Portugal, Spain, and the Papal state. Especially the Papal state with having the power to divide the world for the superpowers of the day. It is interesting that Portugal initially thought they had the better deal on the treaty but quickly discovered that they did not, and promptly being outcompeted by Spain in a short amount of time.
Sara Guerrero
I think that the Treaty of Tordesillas helped the Spanish become one of the most powerful countries at the time. I think Spain was smart in asking the pope for assistance to the unconquered land since there were so many countries trying to claim the recently discovered land as their own. I now understand why most Latin American countries speak spanish except for Brazil because they were owned by Spain and the other by the Portuguese.
Raul Colunga
The Treaty of Tordesillas is a bit odd because two countries with the blessing of the pope had the idea of splitting the world without the consent of all the other countries around them. It was crazy how much Spain had benefited from the treaty because the indigenous people could not compete with Spain and Portugal could not lay a finger on the New World.
Lesley Martinez
Going from the “Old World” to “The Age of Exploration” was a huge leap for the world. The Treaty of Tordesillas is interesting because it advanced the concept of an “invisible line” that separated land. I was not fully aware of the details or reasoning behind this treaty, but it explains a lot as to how Spain became a hegemonic country during the 15th century. Including that it was made possible because of the exploration made by Christopher Columbus. It seems ideal to create a boundary that would benefit both countries. However, it’s interesting that even though the treaty was signed it was rejected by England, France, and the Netherlands. Great article!
Nelly Perez
Portugal and Spain were head to head in competition in the old world. When Columbus discovered land for Spain, he didn’t know those lands were under Portugal’s control. There were some lands that weren’t accessed by Portugal yet for Spain to claim, however Spain was still mad. After sorting things out, the Treat of Tordesillas was signed. May have been rejected, but it changed history.
Samuel Vega
The article is a reminder how influential the Catholic Church was throughout history. It is surprising how much power and control she had over the monarchs and others in political power. This gives me more understanding how our government based our democracy on a separation of church and state. The article was descriptive and well written. I also liked the explanation of the treaty lines and how France, England, and the Netherlands called foul and did not recognize the treaty.
Hailey Rodriguez
This article is very interesting and very well written. By reading this I learned a lot of new things. I thought it was very interesting to learn that both Spain and Portugal rose to power this early on in time. More importantly, I learned what the Treaty of Tordesillas was and that it was one of the main events that pushed Spain ahead.
Maria Rivera
It was interesting to read about the influence of the catholic church on the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494. Pope Alexander VI issued a papal bull, Inter Caetera Divinar, to forestall future territorial disputes between Spain and Portugal. Then he issued a papal bull, Dudum Siquidem, giving Spain the right to claim lands discovered while traveling westward. The Treaty of Tordesillas was also recognized by Pope Julius II, in a papal bull in 1506. It was definitely beneficial for Ferdinand II to have a relationship with the catholic church, as they had so much influence and power.