jun 7, 1494 - June 7, 1494: Treaty of Tordesillas signed
Description:
The Treaty of Tordesillas resolved potential land disputes between Spain and Portugal by confining Spain's colonial conquests to the Americas and Portugal's to Africa and part of Brazil. The fact that Spain had signed away its right to establish colonies in Africa meant that it needed to trade with independent merchants to obtain slaves, which caused Spain to establish the asiento system.
Added to timeline:
Timeline: Role of the colonial powers in the establishment and expansion of slavery; asiento system
Date:
