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A NEW LINE ON THE MAP

Fed up with Alexander,  John negotiated directly with Ferdinand and Isabella. “The Spanish monarchs, fearing the ruthless Portuguese and busy enough digesting the New World, were more than happy to seek a reasonable compromise,” says author William Bernstein. So, in 1494, a treaty named after the Spanish town in which it was stipulated was signed in Tordesillas.

The Treaty of Tordesillas maintained the north-south line Alexander had drawn but moved it 920 miles (1,480 km) farther west. Supposedly, all Africa and Asia now “belonged” to Portugal; the New World to Spain. This westward shift of the line, however, brought much of the as-yet-undiscovered land later known as Brazil into Portuguese territory.

The decrees that authorized Spain and Portugal to take possession of and defend newly acquired lands were used as a basis for much bloodshed. These decisions not only ignored the rights of people who lived in those lands—leading to their subjugation and exploitation—but also spawned centuries of conflict among nations over power and the freedom of the seas.