The following statements accurately describe Portugal's claim to Brazil:
- B- The explorer who claimed Brazil was following a plan to sail far to the west to find and claim land for Portugal.
- C- The explorer who claimed Brazil was able to do so because Brazil lay east of the Line of Demarcation drawn at the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Why did Portugal claim Brazil ?
Pedro Álvares Cabral, the explorer who claimed Brazil for Portugal in 1500, was indeed on a mission to find new lands for Portugal. He had been tasked with sailing to India around Africa, but he was blown off course and ended up in Brazil.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Portugal and Spain. The eastern tip of Brazil fell within Portugal's territory according to this treaty, allowing Portugal to claim it.
The full question is:
Which statements accurately describe Portugal's claim to Brazil? Select all choices that apply. --This means there is more than one answer--
A- a map of South America that shows the 1494 Line of Demarcation explains why the people of Brazil speak a different language from most of the people living in the rest of South America
B- The explorer who claimed Brazil was following a plan to sail far to the west to find and claim land for Portugal
C- The explorer who claimed Brazil was able to do so because Brazil lay east of the Line of Demarcation drawn at the Treaty of Tordesillas.