The Forgotten Treaty of Tordesillas: How Spain and Portugal Divided the World

Long before the Scramble for Africa, a single line on a map decided the fate of entire continents. In 1494, Pope Alexander VI brokered the Treaty of Tordesillas, drawing a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. East of the line went to Portugal; west to Spain. But how was this line enforced? What did it mean for the people already living there? And how did other European powers—England, France, the Dutch—respond to this papal monopoly on the world? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Treaty of Tordesillas, the subsequent Treaty of Zaragoza that divided Asia, and the audacious claim that a pope could grant sovereignty over half the globe. We'll look at the diplomatic maneuvering between King John II of Portugal and the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, the role of the Inter Caetera bull, and the surprising loophole that let Portugal claim Brazil. Plus: why the treaty was ignored by Protestant powers, and its legacy in modern border disputes. #TreatyOfTordesillas #PopeAlexanderVI #InterCaetera #TreatyOfZaragosa #KingJohnII #FerdinandAndIsabella #1494 #LineOfDemarcation #CapeVerde #Brazil #Portugal #Spain #GlobalHistory #Colonialism #PapalBull #Diplomacy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo