The Treaty of Tordesillas is ratified by Spain.

The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal, was a pivotal agreement that aimed to resolve conflicts over newly discovered lands by the voyaging powers of the late 15th century. With the backing of the Pope, the treaty established an imaginary meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, granting Spain the rights to all lands west of this line, while Portugal received everything to the east. This division was meant to prevent rivalry between the two dominant seafaring nations, particularly as Christopher Columbus’s discoveries had stirred both excitement and territorial claims. It effectively gave Portugal control over Africa, Asia, and ultimately Brazil (which it “accidentally” discovered later), while Spain laid claim to most of the Americas.

Though the treaty seemed to provide a clear-cut division, in practice, it had long-term implications that went far beyond its original scope. For one, other European powers like England, France, and the Netherlands were not bound by it and largely ignored its terms. Moreover, the treaty was based on highly inaccurate geographical knowledge—nobody at the time had a good grasp of how big the Earth was, or the full extent of the Americas. Yet despite its limitations, the Treaty of Tordesillas had a profound influence on the shape of global empires and the colonial world map, explaining why Brazil is Portuguese-speaking while the rest of Latin America largely speaks Spanish.