LINE OF DEMARCATION

                                                 LINE OF DEMARCATION

As soon as Columbus returned from his first voyage of discovery Spain started the process of securing the new Trade Route.  Why Spain and not Italy?  Because Columbus was a Spanish Jew and not an Italian christen, says I.

Since the early  1300’s after the suppression of the knights Templar, Portugal was actively seeking new Trade Routes. After their discovery of the Canary Island in 1346 they set their sights on the lands to the west. They colonized the Azores from 1339 to 1448.  They rediscovered Madera in 1420 and also started the colonization of the islands in 1420.  They discovered the Cape Verde Islands in 1455, and their colonization of them also began.

They had worked their way down the African coast and rounded the Cape of Good Hope and thus had circumvented the Muslim controlled trade routes across the Sahara desert. This allowed a source of gold and slaves to become available in Portugal.

Jaoa vaz Cort-Real discovered the land of “cod” in 1473, another discovery for Portugal.  This was already starting to cause conflict between Spain and Portugal. It was taken to the Vatican to resolve disputed discovery lands.

In the eyes of the Vatican there were only two Empires that they held any respect for.  Under Pope Alexander VI (Borgia),  Spain and to a lesser extent Portugal. They drew a line from pole to pole a 100 league’s west of the Azores. Any lands to the west belonged to Spain, the lands to the east to Portugal, ignoring France the British Isles, Italy, and the Baltic countries. And they in turn basically ignored the Vatican.

Portugal raised a complaint and the line was moved further west, thus going through the most eastern part of Brazil.

The Pope at this time was a piece of work. He had several illegitimate children from his mistress, Vanozza Cattani.  Upon his coronation as Pope his son Cesar took over his previous affairs, and he was also made a Cardinal.  The widespread corruption, political maneuvering and greed of this family were off the chart. You could make a seedy cable series out it, as a matter of fact they did, Borgia’s on ShowTime. The church was without morale’s and spiritual direction at this time.

During this time the church was more like a midlevel country and the Pope was its King whose only focus was greed, power and control by any means.  The Popes daughter Lucrezia was married to five separate royal families over her lifetime to achieve this control.

The Pope stated in a Bull that the catholic faith and Christianity is to be exalted and spread everywhere, that the health of souls to be taken care of, and barbarous nations to be overthrown and brought to the faith. To this end you are to bring the Catholic Faith and the worship of the redeemer to their inhabitants.

Since the Spanish voyages of exploration didn’t normally bring priests along, the Bull might be better interpreted as to discover new lands and pillage their fortunes.  This may very well have been the game plan since the Pope would get his share anyway.

The age of discovery, colonization, and the pursuit of wealth had begun!