Bulls of Donation facts for kids
The Bulls of Donation, also known as the Alexandrine Bulls, were a series of important official letters or orders from Pope Alexander VI in 1493. These letters were like special announcements from the Pope. They gave Portugal and the Spanish rulers (called the Catholic Monarchs) rights to explore and claim new lands across the oceans.
A fourth bull was sent out later in the same year. However, all these bulls were soon replaced by a new agreement called the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. This treaty helped Spain and Portugal divide the newly discovered world between them.
What Were These Papal Bulls?
The Pope issued these special orders on May 3 and May 4, 1493. A third bull replaced the first two. Then, a final order called Dudum siquidem was sent on September 26, 1493. This last bull added more details to the main one, Inter caetera.
Here's a quick look at what each bull said:
- The first bull, Inter caetera, dated May 3, said that Spain could claim any newly found lands. But there was a rule: these lands could not already be owned by another Christian ruler. It also protected Portugal's existing claims. Both countries felt this rule was not clear enough.
- The second bull, Eximiae devotionis, also from May 3, gave the kings of Spain the same special rights in new lands that Portugal already had in parts of Africa and Guinea.
- The third bull, also called Inter Caetera, dated May 4, was very important. It encouraged the Spanish rulers to spread the Christian faith. It also drew an imaginary line. This line was "one hundred leagues" (about 300 miles) west and south from the Azores and Cape Verde islands. Any lands found west of this line would belong to Spain.
- The Dudum siquidem bull, from September 26, 1493, was sent to Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. This bull added to the Inter caetera bull. It said that Spain could claim "all islands and mainlands" found or to be found. This included lands discovered on the way west or south, even those in the east or near India.
These bulls became the starting point for talks between Spain and Portugal. These talks led to the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. This treaty was later approved by Pope Julius II. It officially divided the non-Christian world outside Europe between these two powerful countries. At first, most other European countries respected this agreement. But as the Protestant Reformation began, countries in Northern Europe started to see it as just a private deal between Spain and Portugal. They began to ignore it.
See also
- Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery
- History of the west coast of North America
- Portuguese colonization of the Americas
- Portuguese Empire
- Spanish Empire
