The Doctrine of Discovery, 1493

1Introduction

The Papal Bull “Inter Caetera,” issued by Pope Alexander VI on May 4, 1493, played a central
role in the Spanish conquest of the New World. The document supported Spain’s strategy toensure its exclusive right to the lands discovered by Columbus the previous year. It established ademarcation line one hundred leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands and assigned
Spain the exclusive right to acquire territorial possessions and to trade in all lands west of thatline. All others were forbidden to approach the lands west of the line without special licensefrom the rulers of Spain. This effectively gave Spain a monopoly on the lands in the New World.
The Bull stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be “discovered,”claimed, and exploited by Christian rulers and declared that “the Catholic faith and the Christianreligion be exalted and be everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be cared forand that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith itself.” This “Doctrine ofDiscovery” became the basis of all European claims in the Americas as well as the foundation
for the United States’ western expansion. In the US Supreme Court in the 1823 case Johnson v.
McIntosh, Chief Justice John Marshall’s opinion in the unanimous decision held “that theprinciple of discovery gave European nations an absolute right to New World lands.” In essence,
American Indians had only a right of occupancy, which could be abolished.
The Bull Inter Caetera made headlines again throughout the 1990s and in 2000, when many
Catholics petitioned Pope John Paul II to formally revoke it and recognize the human rights ofindigenous “non-Christian peoples.”Questions for Discussion

Read the introduction and the document transcript in order to answer these questions.
1. By what authority did Pope Alexander VI claim the power to give Spain nearly exclusive
possession of the New World?
2. Why do you think Spain wanted exclusive rights to the New World?
3. Along with the right to possess the land, the Papal Bull also indicated that Spain had
specific responsibilities. List and explain these duties.
4. Why was it impossible for Spain, or indeed any other European nation, to realize theextent of the territory Spain controlled after May 1493?

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ImageThe Doctrine of Discovery, 1493

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Pope Alexander VI's Demarcation Bull, May 4, 1493. (The Gilder Lehrman Collection, GLC04093)© 2012 The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
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Transcript

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Pope Alexander VI's Demarcation Bull, May 4, 1493. (The Gilder Lehrman Collection, GLC04093)

Alexander, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to the illustrious sovereigns, our very dear sonin Christ, Ferdinand, king, and our very dear daughter in Christ, Isabella, queen of Castile, Leon,Aragon, Sicily, and Granada, health and apostolic benediction. Among other works well pleasing
to the Divine Majesty and cherished of our heart, this assuredly ranks highest, that in our times
especially the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and be everywhere increased
and spread, that the health of souls be cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown andbrought to the faith itself. Wherefore inas- much as by the favor of divine clemency, we, thoughof insufficient merits, have been called to this Holy See of Peter, recognizing that as true
Catholic kings and princes, such as we have known you always to be, and as your illustrious
deeds already known to almost the whole world declare, you not only eagerly desire but withevery effort, zeal, and diligence, without regard to hardships, expenses, dangers, with theshedding even of your blood, are laboring to that end; recognizing also that you have long since
dedicated to this purpose your whole soul and all your endeavors--as witnessed in these times
with so much glory to the Divine Name in your recovery of the kingdom of Granada from theyoke of the Saracens--we therefore are rightly led, and hold it as our duty, to grant you even of
our own accord and in your favor those things whereby with effort each day more hearty you
may be enabled for the honor of God himself and the spread of the Christian rule to carryforward your holy and praiseworthy purpose so pleasing to immortal God. We have indeed
learned that you, who for a long time had intended to seek out and discover certain islands andmainlands remote and unknown and not hitherto discovered by others, to the end that you mightbring to the worship of our Redeemer and the profession of the Catholic faith their residents andinhabitants, having been up to the present time greatly engaged in the siege and recovery of thekingdom itself of Granada were unable to accomplish this holy and praiseworthy purpose; but
the said kingdom having at length been regained, as was pleasing to the Lord, you, with the wish
to fulfill your desire, chose our beloved son, Christopher Columbus, a man assuredly worthy andof the highest recommendations and fitted for so great an undertaking, whom you furnished withships and men equipped for like designs, not without the greatest hardships, dangers, andexpenses, to make diligent quest for these remote and unknown mainlands and islands through© 2012 The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
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the sea, where hitherto no one had sailed; and they at length, with divine aid and with the utmost
diligence sailing in the ocean sea, discovered certain very remote islands and even mainlands
that hitherto had not been discovered by others; wherein dwell very many peoples living inpeace, and, as reported, going unclothed, and not eating flesh. Moreover, as your aforesaid
envoys are of opinion, these very peoples living in the said islands and countries believe in one
God, the Creator in heaven, and seem sufficiently disposed to embrace the Catholic faith and betrained in good morals. And it is hoped that, were they instructed, the name of the Savior, ourLord Jesus Christ, would easily be introduced into the said countries and islands. Also, on one of
the chief of these aforesaid islands the said Christopher has already caused to be put together andbuilt a fortress fairly equipped, wherein he has stationed as garrison certain Christians,
companions of his, who are to make search for other remote and unknown islands andmainlands. In the islands and countries already discovered are found gold, spices, and very manyother precious things of divers kinds and qualities. Wherefore, as becomes Catholic kings andprinces, after earnest consideration of all matters, especially of the rise and spread of the Catholic
faith, as was the fashion of your ancestors, kings of renowned memory, you have purposed withthe favor of divine clemency to bring under your sway the said mainlands and islands with theirresidents and inhabitants and to bring them to the Catholic faith. Hence, heartily commending in
the Lord this your holy and praiseworthy purpose, and desirous that it be duly accomplished, andthat the name of our Savior be carried into those regions, we exhort you very earnestly in theLord and by your reception of holy baptism, whereby you are bound to our apostolic commands,
and by the bowels of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, enjoy strictly, that inasmuch as witheager zeal for the true faith you design to equip and despatch this expedition, you purpose also,
as is your duty, to lead the peoples dwelling in those islands and countries to embrace theChristian religion; nor at any time let dangers or hardships deter you therefrom, with the stout
hope and trust in your hearts that Almighty God will further your undertakings. And, in orderthat you may enter upon so great an undertaking with greater readiness and heartiness endowedwith benefit of our apostolic favor, we, of our own accord, not at your instance nor the request ofanyone else in your regard, but out of our own sole largess and certain knowledge and out of thefullness of our apostolic power, by the authority of Almighty God conferred upon us in blessedPeter and of the vicarship of Jesus Christ, which we hold on earth, do by tenor of these presents,© 2012 The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
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5should any of said islands have been found by your envoys and captains, give, grant, and assign
to you and your heirs and successors, kings of Castile and Leon, forever, together with all their
dominions, cities, camps, places, and villages, and all rights, jurisdictions, and appurtenances, allislands and mainlands found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered towards the west
and south, by drawing and establishing a line from the Arctic pole, namely the north, to the
Antarctic pole, namely the south, no matter whether the said mainlands and islands are found andto be found in the direction of India or towards any other quarter, the said line to be distant one
hundred leagues towards the west and south from any of the islands commonly known as theAzores and Cape Verde. With this proviso however that none of the islands and mainlands,
found and to be found, discovered and to be discovered, beyond that said line towards the westand south, be in the actual possession of any Christian king or prince up to the birthday of ourLord Jesus Christ just past from which the present year one thousand four hundred ninety-threebegins. And we make, appoint, and depute you and your said heirs and successors lords of themwith full and free power, authority, and jurisdiction of every kind; with this proviso however,that by this our gift, grant, and assignment no right acquired by any Christian prince, who may bein actual possesssion of said islands and mainlands prior to the said birthday of our Lord Jesus
Christ, is hereby to be understood to be withdrawn or taking away. Moreover we command you
in virtue of holy obedience that, employing all due diligence in the premises, as you alsopromise--nor do we doubt your compliance therein in accordance with your loyalty and royal
greatness of spirit--you should appoint to the aforesaid mainlands and islands worthy, Godfearing, learned, skilled, and expeienced men, in order to instruct the aforesaid inhabitants andresidents in the Catholic faith and train them in good morals. Furthermore, under penalty of
excommunication "late sententie" to be incurred "ipso facto," should anyone thus contravene, we
strictly forbid all persons of whatsoever rank, even imperial and royal, or of whatsoever estate,degree, order, or condition, to dare without your special permit or that of your aforesaid heirs andsuccessors, to go for the purpose of trade or any other reason to the islands or mainlands, foundand to be found, discovered and to be discovered, towards the west and south, by drawing andestablishing a line from the Arctic pole to the Antarctic pole, no matter whether the mainlands
and islands, found and to be found, lie in the direction of India or toward any other quarter
whatsoever, the said line to be distant one hundred leagues towards the west and south, as is© 2012 The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
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aforesaid, from any of the islands commonly known as the Azores and Cape Verde; apostolicconstitutions and ordinances and other decrees whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding. We
trust in Him from whom empires and governments and all good things proceed, that, should you,with the Lord's guidance, pursue this holy and praiseworthy undertaking, in a short while yourhardships and endeavors will attain the most felicitious result, to the happiness and glory of all
Christendom. But inasmuch as it would be difficult to have these present letters sent to all places
where desirable, we wish, and with similar accord and knowledge do decree, that to? copies ofthem, signed by the hand of a public notary commissioned therefor, and sealed with the seal ofany ecclesiastical officer or ecclesiastical court, the same respect is to be shown in court andoutside as well as anywhere else as would be given to these presents should they thus be
exhibited or shown. Let no one, therefore, infringe, or with rash boldness contravene, this ourrecommendation, exhortation, requisition, gift, grant, assignment, constitution, deputation,decree, mandate, prohibition, and will. Should anyone presume to attempt this, be it known to
him that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.
Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of the incarnation of our Lord one thousand four
hundred and ninety-three, the fourth of May, and the first year of our pontificate.

Notes: Translation copied from http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/pope0214a.htm© 2012 The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
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