The first nation to publicly recognize U.S. independence following the Revolutionary War was Morocco. Muhammad III, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams signed the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship in 1786; congress approved it the next year.
This treaty, which was proposed by the Moroccan sultan while the U.S. was still at war with Britain, also pertained to trade. As a result, not only did it establish alliance between the nations, and not only did it aid recognition of U.S. independence by other countries, but the treaty also helped development of commerce for a very young United States, too.
This Treaty of Friendship is still active 229 years later, making it the longest still-standing treaty the U.S. has with any nation.”
A friend pointed out to me also that Morocco, the nation which recognized American independence first, was in 1777 both a Muslim and Jewish nation. We can learn a lot from the past.
–John Davison, Director
