Treaty of Tordesillas

Q: What is the Treaty of Tordesillas?

The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement in 1494 between Spain and Portugal to divide the world between them using an imaginary line down the centre of the Atlantic Ocean.

Q: Why was the Treaty of Tordesillas necessary?

The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas permitted the kings of Portugal and Spain to expand their empires but avoid direct competition by not colonising exactly the same areas.

Q: What impact did the Treaty of Tordesillas have?

The impact of the Treaty of Tordesillas was that Spain colonized parts of the Americas while Portugal concentrated on Brazil, West Africa, and Asia.

Mark Cartwright

Treaty of Tordesillas

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Definition

The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas (Tordesilhas) was an agreement between the monarchs of Spain and Portugal to divide the world between them into two spheres of influence. The imaginary dividing line ran down the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the Americas to Spain and West Africa and anything beyond the Cape of Good Hope to Portugal.

More about: Treaty of Tordesillas

Timeline

7 Jun 1494
Portugal and Spain sign the Treaty of Tordesillas which divides the world into two spheres of influence.

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