Moroccan American Peace Treaty 1786-1836

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Moroccan American Peace Treaty 1786-1836

• The Peace Treaty as a Cultural Document
• By Zakaria RMIDI

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OUTLINE

• Introduction
• The Peace Treaty Development
• Reading of The Peace Treaty
• 3.1. Articles dealing with war
• 3.2. Articles dealing with vessels shipping
• 3.3. Articles dealing with trade commerce
• 3.4. Articles dealing with citizens
• Conclusion

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1- Introduction

• 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.

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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.

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2- The Peace Treaty Development (2)

1. November 30,1780 - John Jay forwards Caille's
   Letter to Congress.
2. December, 1780 - U.S. sends first official
   communication to the Sultan of Morocco.
3. September, 1783 - Adams, Jay, Franklin push
   Congress to respond to Sultan's request
4. May 7, 1784 - Congress allows Adams, Jay,
   Franklin to begin work on diplomatic treaties.
5. October 11,1784 - Sultan seizes American ship and
   holds sailors 'until treaty is completed'.
6. June 19, 1786 - Barcley arrives in Marrakech to
   develop treaty.
7. June 23, 1786 - Treaty Sealed by the
   Emperor/Sultan.
8. January 1, 1787 - Treaty signed by Thomas
   Jefferson.
9. January 25, 1787 - Treaty signed by John Adams.
10. July 18, 1787 - Treaty ratified by Congress.

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3- Reading of the Peace Treaty
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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http//www.yacout.info/Treaty-of-Peace-and-Friends
hip_a137.html
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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,
  languageetc. The treaty is still in force making
  it the longest unbroken treaty in the
  Moroccan-American history.

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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/hi
  storicalbgrnd.htm
• "Historical background on US- Moroccan relations
  the friendship is established Embassy of the
  United States, Rabat, Morocco, http//rabat.usemba
  ssy.gov/historical_background.html
• Balogh, Benjamin A., The Continental Congress
  and the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship,
  April 29, 2007 http//benbalogh.com/projects/hist3
  352/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

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• Thank you very much