Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
The Treaty of Tordesillas: Dividing the World
In 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued the bull Inter Caetera, drawing an imaginary line in the Atlantic to split newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal. This episode explores the diplomatic maneuvering that followed, as King João II of Portugal negotiated the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, shifting the boundary westward to claim what would become Brazil. We examine how this arbitrary geometric division shaped colonial borders for centuries, influenced the spread of languages like Portuguese and Spanish across continents, and set the stage for future conflicts over global trade routes…
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