What agreement was made between Spain and Portugal to divide the newly discovered lands in the Americas?

The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, was the agreement made between Spain and Portugal to divide newly discovered lands in the Americas. This treaty was established to resolve disputes over newly claimed territories following the voyages of Christopher Columbus and others. The Pope intervened to mediate the territorial claims of the two countries, leading to the establishment of an imaginary line that divided the New World into areas of Spanish and Portuguese influence. Spain received rights to territories west of the line, while Portugal secured rights to lands east of it, which included modern-day Brazil.

The significance of the Treaty of Tordesillas lies in its impact on the colonization patterns of the Americas, as it shaped the linguistic, cultural, and political landscape of the region even to this day. The other treaties mentioned are related to different historical contexts. The Treaty of Paris refers to treaties that ended conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War, the Treaty of Utrecht resolved various European territorial disputes in the early 18th century, and the Treaty of Versailles ended World War I. Each of these treaties pertained to different issues and regions, making the Treaty of Tordesillas the uniquely relevant agreement concerning the division of the Americas between Spain and Portugal.