Treaty of tordesillas ap world history

Jun 7, 1494 CE: Treaty of Tordesillas


On June 7, 1494, the governments of Spain and Portugal agreed to the Treaty of Tordesillas, named for the city in Spain in which it was created. The Treaty of Tordesillas neatly divided the “New World” of the Americas between the two superpowers.

Spain and Portugal divided the New World by drawing a north-to-south line of demarcation in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 leagues (555 kilometers or 345 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands, off the coast of northwestern Africa and then controlled by Portugal. All lands east of that line (about 46 degrees, 37 minutes west) were claimed by Portugal. All lands west of that line were claimed by Spain.

Spain and Portugal adhered to the treaty without major conflict between the two, although the line of demarcation was moved an additional 270 leagues (about 1500 kilometers or 932 miles) farther west in 1506, which enabled Portugal to claim the eastern coast of what is now Brazil.

The results of this treaty are still evident throughout the Americas today. For example, all Latin American nations are predominantly Spanish-speaking countries with the sole exception of Brazil where Portuguese is the nati

Treaty of Tordesillas


Week 19: The Atlantic World IDs

 

The Treaty of Tordesillas was concluded on June 7 1494 to settle the contentious matter of the possession of the newly discovered lands of the non Christian world between Portugal and Spain. It was ratified by Spain on July 2, 1494. and by Portugal on September 5, 1494.

 

The precedent of the treaty was the Inter Caetera Papal Bull, issued by the Spanish Pope Alexander VI which fixed a division that gave the entire New World to Spain and Africa and India to Portugal. The margin of the maneuver given to Portugal by the papal bull was small.

 

The Treaty of Tordesillas shifted the demarcation line to a circle passing 370 leagues West of the Cape Verde Islands and thus set the legal base for the colonization by Portugal of the eastern coast of the land now known as Brazil.

 



(The house left to the tower is where the treaty was concluded in 1494.)

 



(The treaty with the signature of the sovereign of Spain and Portugal.)




How the Maritime Empires Were Maintained and Developed for AP World History


The Age of Exploration led to the establishment of maritime empires in Europe. Over time, these maritime empires were maintained and developed in different ways. Read the Google Slides to learn about the maritime empires maintained and developed during the Age of Exploration below.

Illustrative Examples


Muslim and European Rivalry in the Indian Ocean



Moroccan Conflict with the Songhai Empire



Increased Peasant and Artisan Labor



The Mercantilist System






The mercantilist system was an economic philosophy and practice characterized by the belief that a nation’s wealth and power were determined by the amount of precious metals it possessed, particularly gold and silver. This period, often referred to as the Age of Mercantilism, witnessed the emergence of powerful European maritime nations such as Spain, Portugal, England, and the Netherlands, each vying for dominance in global trade and colonial expansion. Mercantilist policies focused on promoting a favorable balance of trade, where countries sought to export more goods than they imported. To achieve this, governments implemented protectio


AP World History Practice Question 85




Question: 85


"Thereupon it was declared by the above-mentioned representatives of the aforesaid King and Queen of Castile, Leon, Aragon, Sicily, Granada, etc., and of the aforesaid King of Portugal and the Algarves, etc.:

[I.] That, whereas a certain controversy exists between the said lords, their constituents, as to what lands, of all those discovered in the ocean sea up to the present day, the date of this treaty, pertain to each one of the said parts respectively; therefore, for the sake of peace and concord, and for the preservation of the relationship and love of the said King of Portugal for the said King and Queen of Castile, Aragon, etc., it being the pleasure of their Highnesses, they, their said representatives, acting in their name and by virtue of their powers herein described, covenanted and agreed that a boundary or straight line be determined and drawn north and south, from pole to pole, on the said ocean sea, from the Arctic to the Antarctic pole. This boundary or line shall be drawn straight, as aforesaid, at a distance of three hundred and seventy leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, being calculated by degrees,