Primary sourceDocument7 June 1494

Treaty of Tordesillas

7 June 1494

The 1494 treaty between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands, drawn up as a direct result of Columbus's first voyage.

A treaty drawn up because of Columbus's voyage, dividing the lands he claimed between Spain and Portugal.

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Photograph of a handwritten manuscript page in brown and black ink in Gothic-style script, with decorated illuminated capital letters at the top and middle. Blue circular library stamps reading Lisboa and Biblioteca Nacional appear at the top and bottom, along with a handwritten shelfmark and signatures at the bottom. — Original page from the Treaty of Tordesillas, 1494. Biblioteca Nacional, Lisbon.

About this source

What it is

Signed at Tordesillas, Spain, on 7 June 1494, this treaty between the Crown of Castile and the Kingdom of Portugal divided lands outside Europe along a line in the Atlantic. It was negotiated by representatives of Queen Isabella, King Ferdinand, and King John II of Portugal, and later confirmed by Pope Julius II. Originals are kept in Spain and Portugal.

Why it matters

The treaty was a direct diplomatic consequence of Columbus's first voyage: once he returned claiming new lands for Castile, Portugal demanded a share under earlier agreements with the Pope. The treaty shows how Columbus's voyage immediately reshaped European politics, as two crowns carved up territories whose Indigenous inhabitants were never consulted.

Look closer

Why did Columbus's voyage make this treaty necessary?
Who negotiated the treaty, and who was left out of the decision entirely?
What does the treaty reveal about how European powers viewed lands they had not yet fully explored?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Christopher Columbus, Queen Isabella I, Ferdinand Magellan and Francisco Pizarro on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.