Ruling an Empire: State and Church
nSovereignty over the Spanish empire rested with the crown, based upon a papal grant awarding the Indies to Castile in return for its bringing the lands into the Christian community.
nThe Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) between Spain and Portugal regularized their conflicting claims by drawing a north-south line around the earth; the eastern regions belonged to Portugal, the western to Spain.
nAll of the Americas, except Brazil, went to Spain.
nThe Spanish King ruled from Spain through the Council of Indies; in the Americas there were viceroyalties.
