Download Treaty of Tordesillas

Treaty of Tordesillas
https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=5850
General Information
Source:
NBC News
Resource Type:
Creator:
N/A
Copyright:
Event Date:
Air/Publish Date:
1492 - 1494
03/05/2008
Copyright Date:
Clip Length
Video MiniDocumentary
NBCUniversal Media,
LLC.
2008
00:01:49
Description
In the first years of exploration of the New World, Spain and Portugal emerge as the biggest colonizing
powers. To avoid open war, the Pope Alexander VI draws a line of demarcation that divides the Americas
in half.
Keywords
Treaty of Tordesillas, Spain, King Ferdinand, Queen Isabella, Christopher Columbus, Portugal, Maritime
Exploration, Pope Alexander VI, Caribbean Islands, Americas, King John II, Line of Demarcation, Brazil
, South America, New World, Caterina Pizzigoni, Columbia University
Citation
© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1 of 2
MLA
"Treaty of Tordesillas." NBC News. NBCUniversal Media. 5 Mar. 2008. NBC Learn. Web. 23 March
2015
APA
2008, March 5. Treaty of Tordesillas. [Television series episode]. NBC News. Retrieved from
https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=5850
CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE
"Treaty of Tordesillas" NBC News, New York, NY: NBC Universal, 03/05/2008. Accessed Mon Mar 23
2015 from NBC Learn: https://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/browse/?cuecard=5850
Transcript
Treaty of Tordesillas
NARRATOR: When Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to pay for Christopher Columbus
to find a western route to the Orient, it was Portugal that held the lead in maritime exploration. But
Columbus’ discovery of the Americas bolstered Spain’s position as a rival to Portugal. Spain now had
enough power to approach Pope Alexander VI to work out an agreement with Portugal to divide the
world. It was called the Treaty of Tordesillas.
The dividing line was drawn north and south. Portugal got the land east of the line and Spain got the lands
west, which included the Caribbean Islands and the Americas. The Portuguese king, John II, believed the
Spanish-born Pope’s “Line of Demarcation” favored Spain with richer lands. The angry Portuguese navy
prepared for war.
Prof. CATERINA PIZZIGONI (Columbia University): And John II of Portugal threatened war against
Spain, because of this, you know, standing of the Pope on their side. And this is why we have the Treaty
of Tordesillas signed. They pushed the line of Tordesillas a little bit farther west, so by the time the treaty
was signed, Spain thought that they had the big deal. But Brazil ended up being a very huge portion of
South America. So, the Portuguese, in one way or the other, ended up much better than what they thought
they were going to get.
NARRATOR: To this day, Brazilians speak Portuguese, while other Latin Americans speak Spanish.
Though the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, averted war between Spain and Portugal, other
European nations routinely ignored the treaty as they tried to expand their own colonial empires.
© 2008-2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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