What was the purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
The purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed on June 7, 1494, was to settle the territorial disputes between the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal regarding the newly discovered lands during the Age of Discovery. With the advancement of European exploration and colonization, both countries desired to claim the unexplored territories discovered by their explorers.
The treaty aimed to divide the non-Christian world between Spain and Portugal by drawing a line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. All lands discovered and to be discovered east of this line would belong to Portugal, while lands to the west would belong to Spain. The objective was to avoid conflicts and establish clear boundaries for the two competing powers, primarily in the Americas but also in other parts of the world.
This division allowed Portugal to lay claim to Brazil, which later became a major Portuguese colony, while Spain acquired the majority of the Americas. The Treaty of Tordesillas played an essential role in the territorial division of the South American continent and the subsequent spread of European influence and colonization in the New World.