Morocco was the first country in the world to officially recognize the independence of the United States of America. This took place on December 20, 1777, when Sultan Mohammed III bin Abdallah issued a decree allowing American ships to enter Moroccan ports freely and on equal footing with the ships of other countries allied with Morocco. This early recognition makes Morocco the first Arab, African, and Muslim country to establish official diplomatic relations with the United States — a relationship that continues to this day under the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship signed in 1786, which is considered the oldest international agreement still in force in the history of the United States.
Morocco Was the First Country to Recognize America’s Independence
In 1776, the thirteen American colonies declared their independence from Britain and entered a long war of attrition whose outcome was far from guaranteed. At the time, America was an emerging state seeking international recognition that would grant it legitimacy in the face of a great power such as Britain. Yet the country that first took the initiative to recognize this new entity was not France, nor Spain, nor any of the major European powers — it was the Kingdom of Morocco, a remarkable fact that many Moroccans and Arabs still do not know.
This early Moroccan recognition marks a turning point in the history of international relations and the starting point of the oldest diplomatic alliance in the history of the United States. In this article, we review the precise historical sequence of this story and reveal the real motives that led the Moroccan sultan to make a bold decision that preceded the major European powers.
Key Points to Know
- On December 20, 1777, Moroccan Sultan Mohammed III bin Abdallah issued an official decree declaring that American ships were welcome in Moroccan ports, making Morocco the first country to effectively recognize the independence of the United States.
- This recognition came six years before the end of the American War of Independence, at a time when the outcome of the war was still undecided, giving it exceptional strategic and political value.
- Moroccan-American relations culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in Marrakesh in 1786. It was ratified by the U.S. Congress on July 18, 1787, and is still considered the oldest international treaty continuously in force in the history of the United States.
- Morocco is home to the oldest American diplomatic property in the world, located in Tangier. It is the only U.S. National Historic Landmark outside the territory of the United States and today operates as a museum under the name Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies, TALIM.
- Sultan Mohammed III’s motives were multiple: expanding maritime trade, diversifying revenue, and developing relations with rising commercial powers independently of Britain.
- In December 2020, the United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in a context that many observers partly viewed as a historical return of goodwill for Morocco’s recognition in 1777.
Historical Context: A New American State Seeking Recognition
Between 1775 and 1783, the American colonies were fighting a war of independence against the British Empire. The Founding Fathers officially declared independence on July 4, 1776, but the declaration alone was not enough: international legitimacy was a matter of survival. American merchants had lost British protection for their ships and became vulnerable to attacks in the Mediterranean Sea and along the African coasts. In this turbulent context, the need for an international ally that could grant American ships protection and legitimacy became extremely urgent.
France was secretly supporting the Americans, but it did not proceed with official recognition until February 1778, two full months after Morocco’s recognition. The country that preceded everyone, including the major European powers, was a Muslim kingdom in North Africa, separated from America by the entire Atlantic Ocean.
The Decision of December 20, 1777: What Exactly Happened?
Morocco’s recognition was not a traditional official document in the modern diplomatic sense, but rather a practical decree with immediate legal effect. On December 20, 1777, Sultan Mohammed III bin Abdallah instructed the Dutch consul in Salé to inform European consuls and merchants in the ports of Tangier, Salé, Larache, and Essaouira that ships flying the American flag were permitted to enter Moroccan ports, obtain supplies, and enjoy the same privileges granted to ships of countries that had peace agreements with Morocco.
The sultan reissued this decree on February 20, 1778, in a similar confirmatory form, indicating that the decision was not spontaneous but deliberate and carefully considered. The news reached Benjamin Franklin, the American envoy in Paris, in late April 1778 through Étienne Caille, a French merchant residing in Salé whom the sultan had appointed consul for countries not represented in Morocco, including the Americans.
Why Did Sultan Mohammed III Recognize America’s Independence?
Sultan Mohammed III’s motives were essentially pragmatic and intertwined with a broader internal reform project. Understanding these motives reveals a far-sighted political and economic vision.
First: reforming the Moroccan economy. Sultan Mohammed III ruled Morocco from 1757 until his death in 1790 and was considered one of the most pragmatic and outward-looking rulers of the Alawi dynasty. During his reign, he sought to move away from an economic model based on taxes collected by force toward another model based on organized maritime trade as a stable source of state revenue. Expanding the international trade network was a strategic necessity.
Second: openness to rising states. According to what is documented in American archives preserved through the “Founders Online” program of the U.S. National Archives, the sultan learned about the American Revolution through the French consul residing in Morocco and through the European press. He realized that an emerging commercial state could become a profitable long-term trade partner.
Third: the political dimension. Morocco had several disputes with major maritime powers and had no interest in strengthening Britain’s dominance over Atlantic trade. Supporting a state facing London served Morocco’s strategic interests.
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship of 1786: The Oldest Active U.S. Treaty
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship is the official document that consolidated Morocco’s recognition and turned it into an organized diplomatic relationship. It was signed in Marrakesh in June 1786 by American diplomat Thomas Barclay and Moroccan negotiator Taher Fennich. It was then approved by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on the American side in Europe.
The U.S. Congress ratified the treaty on July 18, 1787, in New York City. It was renegotiated and renewed in 1836 and remains in force to this day. This makes it:
- The oldest international treaty still continuously in force in the history of the United States.
- The first treaty signed by the United States with an Arab, African, and Muslim country.
- A model taught in American universities in courses on diplomatic history.
Original documents preserved in the U.S. Library of Congress reveal that the American side described the Moroccan sultan as the “Emperor of Morocco,” an explicit acknowledgment of the kingdom’s status as a fully sovereign state.
Morocco and the Great Powers: Who Recognized America First?
| Country | Date of Recognition | Order | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | December 20, 1777 | First worldwide | Effective recognition by royal decree |
| France | February 1778 | Second | Official recognition through a treaty of alliance |
| Netherlands | 1782 | Third | Implicit and then official recognition |
| Spain | 1783 | Later | After the Treaty of Paris |
| Britain | September 1783 | Late | The Treaty of Paris that ended the war |
Tangier: The City That Hosts the Oldest American Diplomatic Property in the World
Tangier occupies a unique place in the history of American diplomacy. In 1821, Moroccan Sultan Moulay Slimane gifted a building in Tangier to the United States for use as a consulate, making it the first property owned by the United States outside its territory anywhere in the world.
This building served as the main headquarters of American diplomatic representation in Morocco until 1956. Today, it functions as a museum, archive, and research center under the name Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies, TALIM. It is the only U.S. National Historic Landmark located outside American territory, according to the classification of the U.S. Department of State.
How Did the 1777 Recognition Influence Contemporary Moroccan-American Relations?
History casts its shadow over contemporary diplomacy. In 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush granted Morocco the status of “Major Non-NATO Ally,” a designation that provides exceptional military and security advantages.
On December 10, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the United States’ recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. The presidential statement explicitly recalled Morocco’s recognition of American independence in 1777 as one of the factors influencing this decision, according to international news agencies. Although analysts believe that contemporary geopolitical considerations carried the greatest weight in the decision, the reference to 1777 remains symbolically significant.
On the economic level, trade between the two countries rose from around 43.4 billion Moroccan dirhams in 2021 to approximately 68.9 billion dirhams in recent years, according to figures from the Moroccan Head of Government’s office issued in March 2024.
Questions People Search For
Did Morocco recognize America’s independence before France?
Yes. Morocco preceded France in recognizing the independence of the United States by two full months. The Moroccan sultan issued his decree on December 20, 1777, while France did not conclude its official treaty of alliance with the United States until February 1778. France had been secretly supporting the Americans before that, but the first public and official recognition came from Morocco.
What is the oldest international treaty of the United States that is still in force?
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed in 1786, is the oldest international treaty of the United States that remains continuously in force to this day. It was renegotiated in 1836 and is studied as a unique model in diplomatic history programs at American universities.
What did Morocco gain in return for recognizing America’s independence?
In the short term, Morocco sought to secure a trade treaty that would consolidate its ships’ access to American markets. In the long term, Morocco built a strong strategic relationship with the great power that the United States would later become. Diplomatically, the United States has historically supported Morocco’s positions in its regional disputes, although every decision has remained subject to the calculations of contemporary politics.
What Does Most Content Overlook About This Story?
Morocco’s recognition of American independence is often told as a kind gesture or a pleasant historical exception. But a deeper reading reveals that this event represents an early model of what is today called “soft power” or “proactive diplomacy”: a relatively small state investing in a bold position at an undecided historical moment in order to gain a future ally at limited political cost.
What many also overlook is that the relationship was not always smooth. In 1784, Moroccan authorities seized an American merchant ship as a means of pressuring Washington to negotiate a formal agreement. The sultan later released nine American captives in a move that restored momentum to the negotiations. This context shows that Moroccan-American diplomacy went through periods of tension before reaching the official agreement in 1786. It is a rich and complete history that cannot be reduced to the sentence “the first country to recognize America.”
One striking irony is that the U.S. Congress ratified the Treaty of Friendship with Morocco on July 18, 1787 — two months before the adoption of the U.S. Constitution itself in September 1787. In other words, Morocco was an official ally of the United States before America had a constitution.
Conclusion
Morocco’s recognition of America’s independence in 1777 is not merely a document in the archives of history; it is proof that Morocco is a country with a long-standing diplomatic vision. At a decisive moment, it chose to side with the principle of sovereignty and respect for peoples’ right to self-determination rather than wait or remain neutral. Sultan Mohammed III bin Abdallah did not know that the emerging state for which he opened Morocco’s ports would one day become the world’s greatest power — but his decision remains a fundamental addition to Morocco’s historical record.
The oldest active American treaty in the world is not with Britain or France, but with a kingdom in North Africa. This fact alone deserves to be known by everyone interested in Morocco’s history and international relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Morocco officially recognize the independence of the United States of America?
Morocco effectively recognized the independence of the United States on December 20, 1777, when Sultan Mohammed III bin Abdallah issued a decree stating that American ships were welcome in Moroccan ports and would enjoy the same rights as ships belonging to countries allied with Morocco. Full official diplomatic recognition was embodied in the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in Marrakesh in 1786, which the U.S. Congress ratified on July 18, 1787.
Who was the Moroccan sultan who recognized America’s independence?
He was Sultan Mohammed III bin Abdallah, also known as Sidi Mohammed bin Abdallah, who ruled Morocco from 1757 until his death in 1790. He is considered one of the most prominent Alawi sultans of the modern era, and his reign was marked by major economic reforms, including the development of international maritime trade and the reorganization of Morocco’s relations with foreign powers.
What is the importance of the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship of 1786?
The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship carries three unique historical distinctions at once: it is the oldest international treaty still continuously in force in the history of the United States, the first treaty signed by the United States with an Arab, African, and Muslim country, and a model of international relations based on mutual respect that is taught at several American universities. It was renegotiated and renewed in 1836 and remains legally valid to this day.
Was Morocco’s recognition of America free of interest, or did it have economic goals?
Morocco’s recognition had both economic and political motives. Economically, Sultan Mohammed III sought to expand Morocco’s maritime trade network and diversify the state’s sources of revenue away from dependence on internal taxes. Politically, strengthening ties with an emerging power independent of Britain aligned with Morocco’s strategic interests. This mix of economic pragmatism and political calculation makes Morocco’s recognition a calculated decision rather than merely a kind gesture.
How did the United States historically respond to Morocco’s recognition?
The United States responded over time on several levels: it established a permanent consulate in Tangier in 1797, then Morocco gifted it a building in 1821, which became the oldest American property outside U.S. territory. In the modern era, Morocco received Major Non-NATO Ally status in 2004. The United States has also supported Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the Sahara as a realistic solution, and the Trump administration recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in December 2020 in a step that explicitly recalled the shared history dating back to 1777.
Sources
- U.S. National Archives — Founders Online Documents : Original correspondence by Benjamin Franklin and documents related to the negotiations of the 1786 treaty.
- U.S. Embassy in the Kingdom of Morocco — History of Moroccan-American Relations : An official reference presenting the historical background of relations between Morocco and the United States.
- Office of the Historian — U.S. Department of State — Morocco File : An official page documenting recognition and diplomatic and consular relations between the United States and Morocco.
- State Magazine of the U.S. Department of State — Morocco Profile, March 2024 : A recent informational piece about Morocco within U.S. Department of State publications.
- Arabic Wikipedia — Moroccan-American Relations : A general source for initial review, noting that some of its references include academic works such as Ray W. Irwin’s book on American diplomatic relations with the Barbary powers between 1776 and 1816.