1795 treaty that established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain
Pinckney's Treaty resolved the U.S.-Spanish Florida border dispute and secured American navigation rights on the Mississippi River.
Key Facts
- Signed
- October 27, 1795
- U.S. Negotiator
- Thomas Pinckney
- Spanish Representative
- Don Manuel de Godoy
- U.S. Senate Ratification
- March 7, 1796
- Spanish Ratification
- April 25, 1796
- Treaty Proclaimed
- August 2, 1796
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ongoing border disputes between the United States and Spain over the boundary with Spanish Florida, combined with American demands for navigation rights on the Mississippi River, created diplomatic tensions that both nations sought to resolve through formal negotiation.
On October 27, 1795, Thomas Pinckney and Don Manuel de Godoy signed Pinckney's Treaty in San Lorenzo, Spain. The agreement defined the border between the United States and Spanish Florida and formally guaranteed American navigation rights on the Mississippi River.
The treaty ended the first phase of the West Florida Controversy and was ratified by the U.S. Senate on March 7, 1796. Spain ratified it on April 25, 1796, and the treaty was proclaimed on August 2, 1796, establishing a framework for U.S.-Spanish relations in the region.
Political Outcome
Defined the U.S.-Spanish Florida border and guaranteed U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River, ending the first phase of the West Florida Controversy.
Disputed border between the United States and Spanish Florida; American navigation on the Mississippi contested by Spain
Border formally delimited; U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River guaranteed by treaty