Question

The Treaty of Tordesillas had which of the following results?

a. It opened a floodgate for new Spanish exploration.
b. It made Spain a colonial power in the New World.
c. It accelerated the competition between Spain and Portugal.
d. It created more funding for exploration from the Spanish crown.

Answer 1

The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the New World between Spain and Portugal, leading to Brazil becoming a Portuguese colony and setting the stage for future colonial competition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed in 1494 to resolve competing claims to newly discovered lands by two emerging colonial powers, Spain and Portugal. The treaty resulted in a division of the New World, where lands to the east went to Portugal and lands to the west went to Spain. This is notably why Brazil became a Portuguese colony, as the line drawn through South America gave Portugal claim to what is now Brazilian territory.

While initially reducing competition regarding the New World, it inadvertently set the stage for future encounters in other regions, such as when Spain reached the Asian spice trade, which led to the signing of the Treaty of Zaragoza to divide the eastern regions. Thus, while the Treaty of Tordesillas did not create more funding for exploration or immediately declare Spain a colonial power, it was a significant diplomatic event that had lasting implications for global colonial activity.