Treaty of Tordesillas

Pablo Mathis

"Cursed is he who moves his neighbour’s boundary mark." (Deuteronomy 27)

Timeframe: 07/06/1494 – 13/01/1750

Spain · International Agreements

Key Insights

• After Columbus discovered America in 1492, tensions arose between Spain and Portugal over the possession of new territories. To avoid war, Pope Alexander VI mediated between the powers, leading to the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. The Treaty vaguely established a meridian off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands. Territories West of the meridian belonged to Spain, while lands east of the meridian were to be Portuguese.

Additional Information

Picture of Meridian: No Changes Were Made. Source / Author: Atlas Nacional de España: https://atlasnacional.ign.es/images/9/9a/Mundo_El-reparto-del-espacio-terrestre–Tordesillas-y-Zaragoza_1494-1529_mapa_15215_spa.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_reparto_del_espacio_terrestre_en_Tordesillas_y_Zaragoza,_1494-1529.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

Documents: 📄 Full Publication (PDF)