The Treaty of Tordesillas: How the Pope Divided the World

In 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas drew a line down the Atlantic, dividing the non-Christian world between Spain and Portugal. This episode explores how Pope Alexander VI's papal bulls and the resulting treaty shaped colonialism for centuries. We follow the Iberian kingdoms as they negotiate with the Vatican, the role of the Spanish monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, and how Portugal's King John II pushed the line west to secure Brazil. We examine the treaty's unintended consequences: how it excluded other European powers, fueled resentment, and created a legal framework for conquest. The episode also touches on the earlier papal bulls like Dum Diversas and Romanus Pontifex that set the stage, and how the Treaty of Zaragoza later split Asia. Listeners will learn about the technical challenges of drawing a meridian in the Age of Discovery, the secret Portuguese voyages that may have influenced the line, and the treaty's long shadow on indigenous peoples. #TreatyOfTordesillas #PopeAlexanderVI #IsabellaOfCastile #FerdinandOfAragon #KingJohnII #PapalBulls #DumDiversas #RomanusPontifex #InterCaetera #TreatyOfZaragoza #Colonialism #Spain #Portugal #AgeOfDiscovery #IndigenousRights #History #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo