The Treaty of Tordesillas

What happened

With Spain and Portugal both claiming newly reached lands, in 1494 the two crowns signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, drawing an imaginary line down the Atlantic Ocean. Everything to the west of it would fall to Spain, everything to the east to Portugal.

Why it matters

Two European kingdoms presumed to divide much of the world between them — a claim that shaped the map of colonial empires, including Portuguese Brazil, for centuries.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. Treaty of Tordesillas · Reputable source