Portugal's discovery of a sea route …show more content…
When Columbus reached land, Portuguese suspected that he claimed for Spain lands that the Portuguese had already discovered. In 1493, Pope Alexander V1 proposed a solution to the conflict between the nations. His proposal was an imaginary line, running north to south. The line was called the Line of Demarcation. All lands east of the line were for Portugal to explore and claim and all lands west of the line were for Spain to explore and claim. In 1494, the two nations signed the Treaty of Tordesilla, in which they agreed to honor the line.
Of the "Tools of Exploration" on page 1045, the 17th century magnetic compass was the most beneficial and important sailing advancement for European exploration. The magnetic compass was invented by the Chinese in about 206 B.C. European sailors and explorers used and improved upon the magnetic compass to best suite them during their voyages. The magnetic compass was the most important advancement for European exploration because it was most beneficial for sailers to help them keep and know their direction at sea. The compass was also easily portable and hand held making it easy for sailors to