It was likely that the Portuguese colony of Brazil would eventually expand into Spanish claimed territory. Already by the time of the Treaty of Tordesillas' signing, there were skirmishes over the area that now forms the border between Argentina and Brazil. Furthermore, Spain wanted to avoid a conflict with Portugal in the Old World as concerns Portugal's numerous maritime colonies.
the line of demarcation determined spanish and portuguese territory.(Apex)
The Treaty of Tordesillas was the first attempt to divide the Americas between Spain and Portugal.Treaty of Tordesillas
The first Portuguese settlements in Brazil were east of the Tordesillas line.
The Treaty of Tordesillas established a line of demarcation dividing the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal. This led to the Portuguese control of Brazil and the Spanish control of most of the Americas.
Portugal's claims in the Americas were limited because the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 divided the newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal, with Portugal receiving rights to territories east of a specific meridian. This limited Portugal's ability to establish colonies in certain regions of the Americas claimed by Spain.
Spain and Portugal subjected their debate over American land claims to Papal intervention and mediation. Pope Alexander VI wrote the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) which split the world into Spanish and Portuguese dominions. Portugal had all rights to territory east of the mark and Spain had all rights to land west of the mark.
Spain and Portugal, the treaty gave Brazil to the Portuguese.
They asked the pope(Alexander VI) and he decided that the world( the know world at the time) was to be split by an imaginary line. This line was a little bit west from the eastern tip of Brazil. Portugal got the eastern half of this line and Spain the western half.
The Treaty of Tordesillas.
Treaty of Tordesillas
Portugal was limited by the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) which gave Spain the right to colonize most of the Americas. The exception was Brazil, the easternmost part of South America. Portugal, however, also conducted trade, conquest, and piracy in India by sailing around Africa.
Treaty of Tordesillas