Treaty of Tordesillas
Also known as: Papal Line of Demarcation
- 1Signed on 7 June 1494 in Tordesillas.
- 2Ratified in Setúbal, Portugal.
- 3Established a boundary 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands.
- 4Divided non-European territories between Portugal and the Crown of Castile.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in Tordesillas, Spain, on 7 June 1494, and ratified in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile, along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa.
Connections1
Context for the university's role in colonial legal and moral debates
The university was a center for the legal and moral debates regarding the legitimacy of the Spanish Empire's expansion, which was formalized by this treaty.
The Treaty of Tordesillas was a landmark diplomatic agreement signed on 7 June 1494 in Tordesillas, Spain, and later ratified in Setúbal, Portugal. Its primary purpose was to resolve territorial disputes by dividing newly discovered lands outside of Europe between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile.
Original page from the Tratado de TordesilhasWikimedia Commons; Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa , photos probably taken by User:Joserebelo; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons: Tratado de TordesillasOriginal page from the Tratado de TordesilhasWikimedia Commons; Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa , photos probably taken by User:Joserebelo; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons: Tratado de TordesillasOriginal page from the Tratado de Tordesilhas .Wikimedia Commons; Original: Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa Photo: User:Joserebelo; Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa; Public domain; Wikimedia Commons; Wikidata P18 (image) The agreement established a line of demarcation located 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. This meridian was intended to sit halfway between the Cape Verde archipelago and the lands encountered by Christopher Columbus during his first voyage, which were later identified as Cuba and Hispaniola.