Question

2. In 1493, Pope Alexander VI settled the conflict between Spain and Portugal about their rights to claim the lands they encountered during their explorations. Explain why the pope settled the argument, how he settled the matter, and the terms of the settlement.

Answer 1

In 1493, Pope Alexander VI settled the conflict between Spain and Portugal about their rights to claim land. The Spanish rulers asked for support for their right to claim the New World discovered by Columbus, in order to restrain the Portuguese and other potential rivals.

The Pope decided to settle the matter using diplomatic settlement since Spain didn’t have enough military power. The Pope divided the lands with an imaginary line which was originally 100 then reaffirmed, 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. The east belonged to Portugal, and the west were given to Spain. However, they could only possess those parts that were unclaimed; neither were allowed to claim/occupy any territory in the hands of a Christian ruler.

Answer 2

In 1493, the Spanish rulers asked for papal support for their claims to the New World discovered by Columbus, in order to restrain the Portuguese and other potential rival claimants.

Pope Alexander VI established an imaginary line running north and south through the mid-Atlantic, 100 leagues (480 km) from the Cape Verde islands. Spain would have possession of any unclaimed territories to the west of the line and Portugal would have possession of any unclaimed territory to the east of the line.

Spanish and Portuguese ambassadors reaffirmed the papal division, but the line itself was moved to 370 leagues (1,185 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands, or about 46°30′ W of Greenwich.