History glossary
Treaty of Tordesillas
a 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided claims to newly reached lands beyond Europe.
- Category
- Diplomatic agreement
- Region
- Atlantic world
- Date range
- 1494
What it means
A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal that shifted an Atlantic line of division west of the Cape Verde Islands. It shaped Iberian imperial claims while ignoring the sovereignty of the peoples who already lived in the lands being claimed.
