Pinckney Treaty
The Pinckney's Treaty (official title Treaty of Friendship, Limits, and Navigation Between Spain and The United States , to German about Treaty of Friendship, Limits and Navigation between Spain and the United States , also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid ) was signed on October 27, 1795 in San Lorenzo de El Escorial . He strengthened the friendship efforts between the United States and Spain and also laid down the borders with the Spanish colonies in North America . He also guaranteed the United States shipping rights in theMississippi River . Thomas Pinckney negotiated the treaty for the United States, while Don Manuel de Godoy represented Spain.
The treaty was submitted to the American Senate on February 26, 1796 and ratified there on March 7, 1796. Spain ratified it on April 25, 1796. The exchange of the ratification documents took place on the same day, the publication on August 2, 1796.
Under the terms of the treaty, the contracting states agreed that the southern borders of the United States with the Spanish colonies of eastern Florida and western Florida would be a line between the Mississippi along the 31st parallel north to the Chattahoochee River , then along the middle of the river to its confluence the Flint River , from there straight to the upper reaches of the St. Marys River and from there along the middle of the channel into the Atlantic . This describes the current borderline between Florida and Georgia and the border between the northern end of the Florida Isthmus and the part of Louisiana that lies east of the Mississippi.
This limit has been controversial since the Kingdom of Great Britain expanded the territories of its Florida colonies. It had moved the boundaries from the 31st parallel north to a line east of the confluence of the Yazoo River in the Mississippi (the present location of Vicksburg ). After the American War of Independence , Spain tried to fix the British border, while the United States insisted on the original border.
The treaty obliged the contracting states to jointly define the border line. Andrew Ellicott was the American appointee on the surveying commission.
The treaty established the American western border with the Spanish colony Louisiana in the middle of the Mississippi from the American northern border to the 31st parallel north. That agreement resulted in the land of the Indian nation of Chickasaw now being within the borders of the United States. The contracting states agreed not to incite the indigenous peoples into acts of war any more. Previously, Spain had provided arms to local peoples for many years.
Spain and the United States also agreed to defend each other's cargo ships within their jurisdiction against attack by anyone and not to detain or obstruct either citizens or cargo ships. The treaty also guaranteed shipping for both sides along the entire length of the river.
The territory ceded by Spain in this treaty was administered as Mississippi Territory from 1798 .
Web links
- Contract text at the Avalon Project (English)
- Contract text in the Encyclopedia Louisiana (English)