Luis de Onís

Luis de Onís received his American appointment during Spain’s struggle against Napoleon, but the United States withheld recognition of his mission until 1815. Once received, he negotiated with James Monroe and then John Quincy Adams over Florida and the western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase. ^{1, 2}

The 1819 settlement ceded Florida and Spanish claims in the Pacific Northwest while securing American recognition of Spanish sovereignty over Texas. Jackson’s 1818 invasion of Florida had strengthened Adams’s position. ^{2, 3}

Onís and Adams signed their agreement in Washington on 22 February 1819. Spain ceded public buildings and the archives concerning Florida’s property and government; the treaty protected inhabitants’ religious exercise and allowed those who chose to move to Spanish territory to sell or export their possessions. Spanish officers and troops were to withdraw after the exchange of ratifications, with American transport provided for their passage to Havana. ⁴

The settlement also ended long disputes over seizures and compensation. The two governments renounced defined classes of claims, and the United States undertook to pay qualifying American claims against Spain up to $5 million. A commission in Washington would examine their validity. Although the negotiators specified ratification within six months, the exchange took place on 22 February 1821, two years after signature. Onís later published a defense of his negotiations; an English translation appeared in 1821. ^{4, 3}