Question

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

Portugal and Spain were fighting over who gets to colonize which parts of the world since they were naval forces to be reckoned with and also wanted a lot of colonies. The Pope resolved it buy introducing The Line of Demarcation. This line divided the ocean into two halves. New lands west of the line belonged to Spain and new lands East of the line belonged to Portugal.