Ending Piracy on the Sea. When Britain and Spain entered into an agreement in 1823 to create the Anglo-Spanish Claims commission to redress injuries incurred by British merchants from Spanish privateers, President Monroe took the opportunity to propose treaties to end "private wars" or piracy on the open seas.
In 1823, Great Britain demanded compensation for the injuries to British property seized by Spanish privateers during the recent wars, and ordered the Royal Navy to forcibly seize Spanish property. This sent fears around the world that Britain and Spain may be heading for another war, but on March 12, 1823 Britain and Spain settled their differences by signing a convention in Madrid. In Madrid, Britain and Spain agreed to establish the Anglo-Spanish Claims Commission, allowing British merchants to bring claims of property sized by the Spaniards going back as far as 1808. The commission was made up of two British and two Spanish representatives who were to meet in in London to investigate and pay legitimate claims. Merchants had six months to submit their claims, and if any differences arose that commissioner's could not agree on, then one of them would be chosen by lot to make a final decision.
The United States was watching the events closely. For years American merchants suffered gravely at the hands of Spanish privateers as well as from pirates off the Caribbean and the African coasts. Any attempt to redress injuries inflicted by Spanish privateers was great news to the United States. But, President James Monroe seemed to take it even further, suggesting that eliminating these privateers or pirates would be one of the most significant events that could improve the human condition of this world. Put simply, Monroe saw this as an opportunity to end Piracy on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Seas. In his 1823 State of the Union Address, Monroe explained the importance of the Anglo-Spanish Claims Commission, suggesting that it appeared to have been faithfully carried into effect, and concurred with the "principles proclaimed and cherished by the United States". With this, Monroe had hope that the European powers were now ready to adopt a permanent and "invariable rule" against future wars on the maritime seas. In order not to miss this opportunity, President Monroe instructed the ministers of France, Russia, and Great Britain to propose conventions and treaties with their governments that would abolish "private war on the sea". It was Monroe's earnest hope that the "spirit" in which the Anglo-Spanish Commission was made would lead to the ultimate success of ending Piracy and private wars on the open seas.
Here are the full excerpt on this subject from Monroe's 1823 Address to Congress:
"At the commencement of the recent war between France and Spain it was declared by the French Government that it would grant no commissions to privateers, and that neither the commerce of Spain herself nor of neutral nations should be molested by the naval force of France, except in the breach of a lawful blockade. This declaration, which appears to have been faithfully carried into effect, concurring with principles proclaimed and cherished by the United States from the first establishment of their independence, suggested the hope that the time had arrived when the proposal for adopting it as a permanent and invariable rule in all future maritime wars might meet the favorable consideration of the great European powers. Instructions have accordingly been given to our ministers with France, Russia, and Great Britain to make those proposals to their respective Governments, and when the friends of humanity reflect on the essential amelioration to the condition of the human race which would result from the abolition of private war on the sea and on the great facility by which it might be accomplished, requiring only the consent of a few sovereigns, an earnest hope is indulged that these overtures will meet with an attention animated by the spirit in which they were made, and that they will ultimately be successful."
Success of the Commission and American Claims
In 1823, Hugh Nelson former U.S. Representative from Virginia was appointed minister to Spain and instructed to press for American Claims. Negotiations continued until 1825, when the government of Spain declined a proposal to enter into a convention with the United States similar to that which was signed with Great Britain. Overall, in the first five years of the commission, very little progress was made as the commission struggled to assess the many claims. In addition, the Anglo-Spanish Claims commission set aside only 40 million reales, which some British feared equaled only about a quarter of what British merchants were owed. Finally in 1828, a new convention was signed where Spain and Great Britain each agreed to pay a limited sum of claims made. I could find no information about the end of piracy or private wars.http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29465
McCarthy, M. (2013). The Anglo-Spanish Claims Commission. In Privateering, Piracy and British Policy in Spanish America, 1810-1830 (pp. 118-137). Boydell & Brewer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Nelson_(congressman)
United States Congressional serial set, Issue 5; Issue 3267, 1895, pgs 4534-4535
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Drake-treasure.jpeg
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