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This historical event must be mentioned in plural since the attendants signed two Treaties. It is a very relevant historical event due to the high views of both crowns regarding their forward-looking approach and their agreement to sit down and negotiate the issues as a whole, instead of fighting them separately.
On the 7th day of June, 1494, in the town of Tordesillas, Castile and Portugal signed a treaty dividing the Atlantic Ocean by means of a "line" drawn from pole to pole, 370 leagues to the West side of Cape Verde Islands, so that the Eastern hemisphere was for the Portuguese Crown and the Western hemisphere was for the Castilian Crown.
Thus, the Catholic Monarchs and King John II of Portugal agree on which conquests could be carried out by both States with regard to the World that had just been discovered.
This Ocean division Treaty shows a great novelty: a border dividing both the Sea and the Earth is established for the first time. Besides, that means a new territorial division conception that will determine the current configuration of South America.
On the same day, also in Tordesillas, both powers signed another treaty that solved the disputes which both kingdoms had been maintaining all along about African territories and interests. Besides, it not only accounted for the Oceanic treaty but also complemented it.
According to the African Treaty, the Portuguese and Castilian kingdoms divided Fez for future conquests. And they also regulated fishing and navigation rights through African-Atlantic coasts, with the result that Castile made sure of Melilla and Cazaza territories and also fishing to the Cape Bojador, as well as attack operations on those territories, from Bojador to Río de Oro. The African agreement will be very valuable for Castile since hardly two years ago; the Catholic Monarchs had concluded the Reconquest with Granada annexation. That agreement carried out with Portugal delimited the area for future conquest and expansion of the Hispanic Christianity against the Islam in North Africa, which was a main aim of the Spanish monarchy.
The final act of negotiations was carried out without the kings' presence, who had delegated their powers to plenipotentiary attorneys. Three each nation. On the part of Portugal: Ruy de Sousa, his son Juan de Sousa and Mr. Aires Dalmada and Mr. Esteban Vaéz, in his capacity as Notary. On the part of Castile: Mr. Enrique Enríquez, Mr. Gutierre de Cárdenas and Dr. Rodrigo Maldonado. Mr. Fernando Álvarez de Toledo acts as Notary.
Although the agreements that were signed on June 7 were definitive because the attorneys had full powers, both parts decided to take a reasonable time so that they were ratified by their respective monarchs: 50 days for the African Treaty and 100 days for the Oceanic Treaty since it was necessary to wait in order to know what Castilian boats navigating through the Atlantic Ocean had discovered until June, 20th. The Catholic Monarchs ratified the treaty in Arévalo and King John II in Setúbal.
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