Question

How did Portugal gain an empire in Brazil?

A) Portuguese mariners were first to explore the Amazon basin.
B) The Treaty of Tordesillas, designed to divide the Atlantic between Spain and Portugal, unintentionally granted Brazil to Portugal.
C) Initially, the Spanish had no interest in South America.
D) Brazilian natives successfully resisted Spanish invaders.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 1

The answer is B) The Treaty of Tordesillas, designed to divide the Atlantic between Spain and Portugal, unintentionally granted Brazil to Portugal. This was made when the Portuguese king John II negotiated with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella where the boundary lines were moved to the west. In doing so, it enabled the Portuguese to explore Eastern Africa and grant them lands that make up the Eastern portion of Brazil.