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Adams-Onís Treaty

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description Adams-Onís Treaty Overview

The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, negotiated by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and Spanish minister Luis de Onís, transferred Florida to the United States and established a transcontinental boundary from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific.

help Adams-Onís Treaty FAQ

What territory did Spain transfer in the Adams-Onís Treaty?

Spain ceded East Florida to the United States and gave up its claim to West Florida. The United States assumed up to $5 million in claims by American citizens against Spain rather than paying that amount directly as a purchase price.

How did the Adams-Onís Treaty define the border with Spanish territory?

The boundary ran through waterways including the Sabine, Red, and Arkansas rivers before reaching the 42nd parallel and continuing to the Pacific. It separated United States claims from Spanish possessions across the continent.

What did the United States give up in the Adams-Onís settlement?

The United States renounced claims to Texas as part of the negotiated boundary. That concession did not last as a permanent political settlement because Texas later separated from Mexico and joined the United States.

Why is the agreement also called the Transcontinental Treaty?

Its boundary settlement stretched from the Gulf region to the Pacific Ocean, resolving overlapping American and Spanish claims across North America. John Quincy Adams and Luis de Onís concluded the agreement in 1819.

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