Treaty of Tordesilla

Spain and Portugal’s compromise was an agreement to take land from Christopher Columbus and draw a line across the Atlantic Ocean. The main conflict between the two countries and Christopher was that they were taking all of his land he found and not giving any credit to him or letting him keep any of it. This happened because Spain and Portugal went to war and Portugal won. When they won, Portugal regained their independence and led to the agreement of splitting it.

Historical Context

The treaty of Tordesilla was an agreement on taking land from Christopher Columbus (Treaty of Tordesilla).Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who went around the world and discovered pieces of land that nobody knew. After Columbus’s discoveries had reached Portugal, the Spanish rulers named Ferdinand and Isabella then enlisted papal support for their claim on the New world (Encyclopedia Britannica). The pope was stress about setting up the demarcation lines. The lines of demarcation were between the Spanish and the Portuguese (8th grade Social Studies). Everything on the east was Portugal’s and everything on the west was the king of Castilla.

Compromise

Spain and Portugal did not have major conflict until they figured out that one got more land than the other did. After the war Portugal got control of all the lands on the west side of the line. Asia and Spain had control of most of the Pacific Ocean. Sharing land originally found by Christopher Columbus between Spain and Portugal settled most conflicts.

Other late 15th century voyagers also found the land with Columbus but weren’t given credit until later on.

Short term Significance of Compromise

Today Brazilians speak Portuguese because of the placement of a line thought the Brazil continent. Christopher Columbus had to give all the land he found to Spain and what he got back was everything on land 300 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands.

Columbus was sailing under the Spanish flag which caused him to give all the land to Spain. Later on in the 1494 the Spanish town of the Tordesillas they gave out another compromise and they move the treaty line 800 miles farther west. (Comb, Dave Mc.) This was a short term compromise because this did not last long, eventually Portugal realized that Spain got a lot more land than they did and this caused more conflict between the two, therefore making this a short term compromise.

Long Term significance of Compromise

After conflicts were settled by splitting land found by Christopher Columbus Portuguese realized how much more land was given to Spain than Portuguese and they were dissatisfied again. June 1494 the line was moved 1770 km west of Cape Verde Islands during a meeting. (Then Again) Portugal had war with Spain and Portugal won and split.

Iberian Union lasted for almost sixty years then war happened in the Braganza dynasty. This caused the treaty of Tordesillas.

Conclusion

In Conclusion Spain and Portugal’s compromise was an agreement to take land from Christopher Columbus and draw a line across the Atlantic Ocean was not the main conflict, the main conflict between the two countries and Christopher was that they were taking all of his land he found and not giving any credit to him or letting him keep any of it. Spain and Portugal did not have major conflict until they figured out that one got more land than the other did;after conflicts were settled by splitting land found by Christopher Columbus Portuguese realized how much more land was given to Spain than Portuguese and they were dissatisfied again. Isabella and Ferdinand had good reason to appease Portugal. Although deliberated during May and June 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas was a year-long process replete with uncertainty, with the high potential of war between two countries and Spain’s anxiety over its role in the Atlantic conquests.