In 1777, under Sultan Mohammed III, Morocco became the very first country in the world to formally recognize the independence of the United States of America — a relationship later cemented by the longest unbroken treaty in U.S. history.
In December 1777, just over a year after the United States declared independence from Britain, **Morocco became the first country in the world to formally recognize the new American nation.** The decision was made by **Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah (Mohammed III)**, a reformist ruler who saw clear strategic and commercial value in opening Moroccan ports to the young republic.
**The 1777 Declaration:**
On **December 20, 1777**, Sultan Mohammed III issued a declaration announcing that American merchant ships would be welcomed in Moroccan ports under his protection, on the same terms as those of established European powers. At a time when the United States was still fighting for its survival in the Revolutionary War — and when most world powers refused to even acknowledge it — this recognition was a remarkable diplomatic gesture.
**Reaching the Founding Fathers:**
Word of the Sultan's declaration eventually reached the American leadership. **Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson** would later play central roles in formalizing the relationship. In a 1789 letter, **George Washington** personally wrote to Sultan Mohammed III to express the gratitude of the United States for Morocco's early friendship — a rare direct correspondence between an American president and a foreign monarch in that era.
**The 1786 Treaty of Peace and Friendship:**
The relationship was formalized in the **Moroccan–American Treaty of Peace and Friendship**, negotiated by Thomas Barclay on behalf of the U.S. and signed in 1786. Ratified by the Continental Congress in 1787, the treaty has remained continuously in force ever since, making it the **longest unbroken treaty relationship in United States history**.
**The Tangier American Legation:**
As a tangible legacy of this friendship, the **Tangier American Legation**, gifted by Sultan Moulay Slimane in 1821, became the first piece of American property abroad. It still stands today as a museum and cultural center — and is the only U.S. National Historic Landmark located outside the United States.
**Diplomatic Significance:**
Morocco's 1777 recognition was not just symbolic. It established a precedent of open commerce and mutual respect at a moment when the U.S. desperately needed legitimacy on the world stage. More than two centuries later, Morocco and the United States remain close strategic partners, with the 1786 treaty still cited as the foundation of their relationship.