Treaty of Madrid: U.S. Borders Secured With Spain
The Treaty of San Lorenzo, also called Pinckney's Treaty, was signed on October 27, 1795, between the United States and Spain. It fixed the southern boundary of the U.S. at the 31st parallel, granted Americans free navigation of the Mississippi River, and established a three-year right of deposit at New Orleans for American goods awaiting export. For western farmers who had no way to ship their crops east over the Appalachians, the Mississippi was their lifeline. Spain conceded because it feared an American alliance with Britain and wanted to avoid a two-front conflict. The treaty removed the greatest source of tension between the U.S. and Spain and opened the trans-Appalachian West to rapid settlement. It also established a commission to resolve border disputes, a mechanism later used in treaties worldwide.
October 27, 1795
231 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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