Moroccan American Peace Treaty 1786-1836

The Peace Treaty as a Cultural Document

By Zakaria RMIDI

OUTLINE

1. Introduction

2. The Peace Treaty Development

3. Reading of The Peace Treaty3.1. Articles dealing with war

3.2. Articles dealing with vessels & shipping

3.3. Articles dealing with trade & commerce

3.4. Articles dealing with citizens

4. Conclusion

1- Introduction

• painting made by V. ZVEG used in The Alawi Dynasty Genealogy , commonly reproduced as being the portrait of Sidi Muhammad III. http://www.sharifian-history.info/

• Sultan Sidi Mohammed III looked northward

rather than southward. His diplomatic initiative

reflects his concerns to develop a modern economy based on

international trade and maritime activities. On the

other hand, it reflects his sense of diplomacy to

establish peaceful relations with other

nations.

2- The Peace Treaty Development (1)

1. December 20, 1777 - Offer of Friendship first Presented by Morocco.

2. February 2O, l778 - Reissued the offer of Friendship to US & other Christian Nations.

3. April 14, 1778 - Letter written by Caille to Franklin initiating treaty discussions.

4. late April or early May 1778 - Caille's Letter reaches Franklin in Paris.

5. later 1778 - early 1779 - Caille writes second letter to Franklin about treaty.

6. May 1779 - Franklin submits request to Office of Foreign Affairs with French support.

7. September 1779 - Sultan sends letter directly to Franklin relating to Treaty request.

8. April 21,1780 - Caille sends letter to John Jay about treaty request. 9. Sept 4, 1780 - Huntington confirms receipt of a letter for Caille. 10. November 28,1780 - Huntington sends letter to Franklin requesting

response to Sultan.

2- The Peace Treaty Development (2)

11. November 30,1780 - John Jay forwards Caille's Letter to Congress.

12. December, 1780 - U.S. sends first official communication to the Sultan of Morocco.

13. September, 1783 - Adams, Jay, Franklin push Congress to respond to Sultan's request

14. May 7, 1784 - Congress allows Adams, Jay, & Franklin to begin work on diplomatic treaties.

15. October 11,1784 - Sultan seizes American ship and holds sailors 'until treaty is completed'.

16. June 19, 1786 - Barcley arrives in Marrakech to develop treaty. 17. June 23, 1786 - Treaty Sealed by the Emperor/Sultan. 18. January 1, 1787 - Treaty signed by Thomas Jefferson. 19. January 25, 1787 - Treaty signed by John Adams. 20. July 18, 1787 - Treaty ratified by Congress.

3- Reading of the Peace Treaty

3- 1- Articles dealing with war (1)

• 2. If one of the Parties shall be at War with any Nation whatsoever, the other Party shall not take a Commission

either from the Enemy nor fight under their Colors.

• 5. If either of the Parties shall be at War, and shall meet a Vessel at Sea, belonging to the other, it is agreed that if

an examination is to be made, it shall be done by sending a Boat with two or three Men only, and if any

Gun shall be Bred and injury done without Reason, the offending Party shall make good all damages.

3- 1- Articles dealing with war (2)

11. If we shall be at War with any Christian Power and any of our Vessels sail from the Ports of the United States, no Vessel belonging to the enemy shall follow until twenty four hours after the Departure of our Vessels; and the

same Regulation shall be observed towards the American Vessels sailing from our Ports.-be their enemies Moors or

Christians.

13. If a Ship of War of either Party shall put into a Port of the other and salute, it shall be returned from the Fort, with

an equal Number of Guns, not with more or less.

3- 2- Articles dealing with vessels & ships (1)

7. If any Vessel of either Party shall put into a Port of the other and have occasion for Provisions or other Supplies, they shall be

furnished without any interruption or molestation. If any Vessel of the United States shall meet with a Disaster at Sea and put into one of our Ports to repair, she shall be at Liberty to land

and reload her cargo, without paying any Duty whatever.

8. If any of the ships encounters a problem and deviates to the coast. All the cargo unloaded during the repair can be reloaded

not paying any commission.

3- 2- Articles dealing with vessels & ships (2)

9. If any Vessel of the United States shall be cast on Shore on any Part of our Coasts, she shall remain at the disposition of the Owners and

no one shall attempt going near her without their Approbation, as she is then considered particularly under our Protection; and if any

Vessel of the United States shall be forced to put into our Ports, by Stress of weather or otherwise, she shall not be compelled to land her Cargo, but shall remain in tranquility until the Commander

shall think proper to proceed on his Voyage.

10. If any Vessel of either of the Parties shall have an engagement with a Vessel belonging to any of the Christian Powers within gunshot of

the Forts of the other, the Vessel so engaged shall be defended and protected as much as possible until she is in safety; And if any

American Vessel shall be cast on shore on the Coast of Wadnoon or any coast thereabout, the People belonging to her shall be protected,

and assisted until by the help of God, they shall be sent to their Country.

3- 3- Articles dealing with trade & commerce

14. The Commerce with the United States shall be on the same footing as is the Commerce with Spain or as that with the most favored

Nation for the time being…

17. Merchants shall not be compelled to buy or Sell any kind of Goods but such as, they shall think proper; and may buy and sell all sorts

of Merchandise but such as are prohibited to the other Christian Nations.

18. All goods shall be weighed and examined before they are sent on board, and to avoid all detention of Vessels, no examination shall

afterwards be made, unless it shall first be proved, that contraband Goods have been sent on board, in which Case the Persons who

took the contraband Goods on board shall be punished according to the Usage and Custom of the Country and no other Person

whatever shall be injured, nor shall the Ship or Cargo incur any Penalty or damage whatever.

3- 4- Articles dealing with citizens (1)

6. If any Moor shall bring Citizens of the United States or their Effects to His Majesty, the Citizens shall immediately be set at Liberty and the Effects restored, and in like Manner, if any Moor not a Subject

of these Dominions shall make Prize of any of the Citizens of America or their Effects and bring them into any of the Ports of His

Majesty, they shall be immediately released, as they will then be considered as under His Majesty's Protection.

14. …their Citizens shall be respected and esteemed and have full Liberty to pass and repass our Country and Sea Ports whenever

they please without interruption.

3- 4- Articles dealing with citizens (2)

• 16. In case of a War between the Parties, the Prisoners are not to be made Slaves, but to be exchanged one for another, Captain for

Captain, Officer for Officer and one private Man for another; and if there shall prove a deficiency on either side, it shall be made up by

the payment of one hundred Mexican Dollars for each Person wanting; And it is agreed that all Prisoners shall be exchanged in

twelve Months from the Time of their being taken, and that this exchange may be effected by a Merchant or any other Person

authorized by either of the Parties.

• 20. If any of the Citizens of the United States, or any Persons under their Protection, shall have any disputes with each other, the Consul

shall decide between the Parties and whenever the Consul shall require any Aid or Assistance from our Government to enforce his

decisions, it shall be immediately granted to him.

http://www.yacout.info/Treaty-of-Peace-and-Friendship_a137.html

4- Conclusion With respect to the cultural history of Moroccan

American relations, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship is considered as a cultural document. The cultural significance of the treaty comes from the fact

that it was the first agreement between the US and any African or Arabo-Muslim nation. The treaty

established a peaceful relation between the US and Morocco regardless of the dissimilarities of religion,

race, language…etc. The treaty is still in force making it the longest unbroken treaty in the

Moroccan-American history.

References

• Wells, Sherrill B., " Long-time friends: a history of early U.S- Moroccan relations 1777-1787 ," Embassy of the United States, Rabat, Morocco, http://www.usembassy.ma/usmorrelations/historicalbgrnd.htm

• "Historical background on US- Moroccan relations the friendship is established” Embassy of the United States, Rabat, Morocco, http://rabat.usembassy.gov/historical_background.html

• Balogh, Benjamin A., “The Continental Congress and the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship,” April 29, 2007 http://benbalogh.com/projects/hist3352/am_research.pdf

• Priscilla H. Roberts and James N. Tull, “Emissary to Barbary” http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/199805/emissary.to.barbary.htm

• Priscilla H. Roberts and James N. Tull, “Moroccan Sultan Sidi Muhammed Ibn Abdallah diplomatic initiatives twards the United States, 1777- 1786”

• PENNELL C.R., Morocco from Empire to Independence. –Oxford, England: Oneworld Publications, 2003

• “The treaty of peace and friendship between Morocco and the US”, the original document in Arabic, http://www.yacout.info/Treaty-of-Peace-and-Friendship_a137.html

Thank you very much