Tordesillas is famous for the infamous treaty of Tordesillas that was preceded in 1479 between the treaty Alcaçobas. This latter treaty was signed by the two major powers exploring the southern americas: Spain and Portugal. This treaty fulfilled two functions: firstly. the war of succession after the death of the King Enrique IV for the throne of Castilla between Isabel La Católica and Juana la Beltraneja was put to an end and secondly, the rights of navigation and conquest of the Atlantic Ocean were agreed upon.
 According to the treaty, the kingdom of Castille and the Canary Islands, would belong to kingdom of Castilla, and would be for Isabel and Fernando, whilst Madeira, Porto Santo, las Azores and las Islas de Cabo Verde, as well as the rights of conquest of the kingdom of Fez and the right to navigate to the south of the paralled of the Canary Islands, would be for Portugal.
Many problems that threatened the peace established by this treaty ensued. These problems intensified when Juan II of Portugal received Christopher Columbus in Valparaíso, in 1493. When he returned victorious from his first voyage, it was announced that the lands that had just been discovered were located below the Canary Island parallel. This meant, according to the treaty of Alcaçobas, that all the lands belonged to Portugal.
Once again, war commenced between the two powers. The Portuguese wanted the Canary parallel to stand for future conquests of both kingdoms. The Catholic Kings rejected this assumption and tried to force Juan II to keep Africa whilst the Castellanos explored the new worlds.
This attempt was clarifed by the Pope in three Bulls that modified the rights of conquest for both countries but was not accepted by either side. European instability and the desire of both superpowers to prevent a futher war motivated an extended series of negotiations that terminated with the treaty of Tordesillas. Signed in 1494, the Treaty designated land in the new territories both to Portugal and to Spain. The former retained Brazil and the latter was given free reign in the rest of the continent.
Read more about the Treaty of Tordesillas....
More information:
http://www.tordesillas.net/
http://es.wikipedia.org/
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