Treaty of Aranjuez (1777)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Aranjuez was signed on June 3, 1777 between the French Empire
and the Spanish Empire
. Based on the terms of the treaty, France
and Spain
agreed to define the border of their colonies on the island of Santo Domingo
in the Caribbean Sea
which they shared ownership of. All colonies were to be marked by monuments for identification. It was signed at Aranjuez Palace near Madrid
in Spain
. It was one of a number of diplomatic agreements signed at the palace in the eighteenth century and should not be confused with the 1779 Treaty of Aranjuez
between the two states which led to Spain's entry into the American War of Independence.
and the Dominican Republic
still conforms to the boundaries between French and Spanish colonies agreed to in the Treaty of Aranjuez. However, in the 20th century, the middle portion of the boundary was changed to make it closer to a straight north–south line and thereby transferred a large portion of Hispaniola
from the Dominican Republic to Haiti.
French colonial empire
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
and the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
. Based on the terms of the treaty, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
agreed to define the border of their colonies on the island of Santo Domingo
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
which they shared ownership of. All colonies were to be marked by monuments for identification. It was signed at Aranjuez Palace near Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was one of a number of diplomatic agreements signed at the palace in the eighteenth century and should not be confused with the 1779 Treaty of Aranjuez
Treaty of Aranjuez (1779)
The Treaty of Aranjuez was signed on April 12, 1779 between France and Spain. France agreed to aid in the capture of Gibraltar, the Floridas, and the island of Minorca. In return, the Spanish agreed to join in France’s war against Great Britain. Based on the terms of the treaty, Spain joined the...
between the two states which led to Spain's entry into the American War of Independence.
Aftermath
The northernmost and southernmost part of the international border between HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
still conforms to the boundaries between French and Spanish colonies agreed to in the Treaty of Aranjuez. However, in the 20th century, the middle portion of the boundary was changed to make it closer to a straight north–south line and thereby transferred a large portion of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
from the Dominican Republic to Haiti.
External links
- Santo Domingo: A Country With A Future
- The Louverture Project: Treaty of Aranjuez