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

Lucas and Luna unravel the story behind the Treaty of Tordesillas, the 1494 agreement that carved up the non-European world between Spain and Portugal. They explore the political maneuvering between the Catholic Monarchs and King John II, the role of Pope Alexander VI and his papal bulls, and the mysterious line drawn 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. The episode delves into the Portuguese push to move the line westward, securing Brazil, and the conflicting interpretations that led to the later Treaty of Zaragoza dividing the Pacific. Lucas explains how the treaty relied on imperfect navigation and secret cartographic knowledge, and how it shaped early colonialism from the Americas to Asia. He also touches on the legal and theological debates the treaty sparked about papal authority over non-Christian lands. This episode offers a fresh look at a foundational document of global empire, revealing how a line on a map changed history. #TreatyOfTordesillas #PopeAlexanderVI #CatholicMonarchs #KingJohnII #Spain #Portugal #Columbus #PapalBull #InterCaetera #brazil #1494 #AgeOfExploration #colonialism #VascoDaGama #Tordesillas #History #FexingoHistory #worldhistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo