What were the provisions of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement signed between Spain and Portugal on June 7, 1494. It divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between both nations along an imaginary line, known as the Line of Demarcation, which ran straight down the Atlantic Ocean, 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. The provisions of the treaty were:
1. Spain would have the exclusive right to explore, establish trade, and colonize any part of the world that lay to the west of the Line of Demarcation.
2. Portugal would have the exclusive right to explore, establish trade, and colonize any part of the world that lay to the east of the Line of Demarcation.
3. Both Spain and Portugal agreed not to interfere with each other's activities on their respective sides of the line.
4. The treaty declared that any discovery made by either country beyond the line would belong to the respective country.
5. The treaty allowed both countries to continue their exploration and colonization of the African coast.
The Treaty of Tordesillas was significant in marking the beginning of the European colonization of the Americas.