Spanish documents concerning Florida and the West Indies, 1783-1787

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Summary

Abstract:
This collection contains 86 pieces of official documents, in Spanish, related to the 1783 Treaty of Versailles, particularly in relation to Spanish possession in West Indies.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (86 pieces in 1 box )
Language:
Spanish.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Spanish documents concerning Florida and the West Indies, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains official documents related to the 1783 Treaty of Versailles, particularly in relation to Spanish possession in West Indies. Included are original notifications about the cessation of hostilities directed to the Spanish overseas governors, the Minister of Marine and officers commanding the armed forces from the royal administration and Council of Indies; the acknowledgements and correspondence thereon; the text of two of the Articles of the Peace Treaty, and official proclamations, including a text that had been published without the consent of the King and was later withdrawn and destroyed. Prominent authors include: Juan Antonio Enriquez, Pedro Castejón, José Moffino, and Francisco Xavier Morales.

Some notable items include:

  1. Enriquez, Juan Antonio. Proclamation of the Peace between Spain and England (1783, Feb. 5). Note: This document was printed and posted in Seville by Enriquez, Minister of Marine at Seville, but was withdrawn and destroyed by the command of the king.
  2. Castejón, Pedro, marqués de, 1719-1783. To Don Juan Antonio Enriquez. Draft of a letter from the king's secretary reprimanding Enriquez for exceeding the limits of his authority in publishing the news of the peace (1783, Feb. 11).
  3. Enriquez to Castejón. Letter vindicating his action, and begging intercession in his behalf (1783, Feb. 19).
Biographical / historical:

The Treaty of Versailles of September 3, 1783, which recognized the independence of the thirteen colonies, also ended hostilities between European powers. According to the treaty, Spain recovered Minorca and East Florida. The Treaty was preceded by separate preliminary articles that France and Spain signed on January 20, 1783. Yet Americans were hostile to Spanish control. They began to expand into Florida, first gaining territory called the Yazoo Strip through the Treaty of Lorenzo (Pinckney's Treaty) in October 1795. By 1821, Spain agreed, by the Adams-Onís Treaty, to the cession of Florida to the United States.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from the Maggs Bros., 1926.
Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Spanish documents concerning Florida and the West Indies, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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