Treaty Of Tordesillas Research Paper

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“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” An inspirational quote by H.G. Wells that describes how Spain reclaims territory after the Treaty of Tordesillas was disregarded. The Protestant Reformation undermined the authority of the Pope. As a consequence, Spain lost territory in the New World. Hernan Cortes, a Spanish Conquistador would serve as an alternative way to gain territory. The methods that he used were vile, but Spain would reclaim land in the New World. Despite the failure of the Treaty of Tordesillas, Spain was able reclaim land without the power of the Pope in the Americas because of Hernan Cortes, who used deception and violence to conquer the Aztec Empire. In an effort to limit disputes over territory, Spain and Portugal appealed to Pope Alexander VI, who solved the issue by creating an imaginary line down the Atlantic Ocean. The land to the east belonged to Portugal and the land to west was given to Spain. A year later, the Treaty of Tordesillas was created, moving the line 1,000 miles westward. After the Protestant Reformation, the Treaty of Tordesillas failed. England and the Netherlands, which were Protestant countries, began to claim territory …show more content…

“This slaughter in the Sacred Patio went on for three hours.” This quote best describes the events that took place during a religious ritual. The actions of Cortes’ men could not be described any other way. The Spaniards murdered singers, spectators, and civilians that were unarmed. Their greatest lapse in judgment was the murder of a priest and king. This resulted in the Aztecs declaring war against them. However, it would be a war that they would win. Their victory would be aided by, “an invisible enemy…in the form of smallpox germs.” The disease weakened the Aztecs and Cortes was able to conquer Tenochtitlan and by 1521 he was able to conquer the entire

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