President Washington Credential

President Washington Credential

A historic document out of an exciting epoch, a certificate of the historic relations between Spain and the USA: a 1794 letter from George Washington, the first President of the United States, to the Spanish King Carlos IV. It is a letter of appointment for William Short as “minister”, as one of the first authorized American diplomats at the Spanish court. In this volatile period of debate over the demarcation between the Spanish colonies and the North American regions of the late 18th century, Short had the task of managing and preserving friendly ties between both countries. An exciting document of Spanish-American relations!

The First President of the USA and His Relationship with Spain

George Washington (1732–1799) was elected the first President of the United States in the year 1789. He occupied the office until 1797. Washington is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the USA and was substantially involved in the legislation of the new democracy. As the President of the United States, Washington was anxious to maintain good relations with neighboring states. With regard to Spain, whose North American colonies directly bordered the territory of the United States, had to find a compromise with regard to demarcation. American diplomats were sent to Spain, inter alia, to achieve this goal.

An American at the Spanish Royal Court

The historic American document that is found today in the Archivo Histórico Nacional de España in Madrid shows exactly that. It is a letter of appointment or credential from President George Washington to King Carlos IV of Spain (1748–1819). It was presented by William Short, the American “minister” – as the highest ambassadors of the USA were called at the beginning of the 19th century – at the royal court in Madrid. The English-language document was signed by George Washington on June 5th, 1794. It sealed the friendly relationship between Spain and the USA.

The Impressive Career of William Short

William Short (1759–1849) was the private secretary and close confidant of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. He had an impressive diplomatic career, which took him to France, Holland, and Spain. Short, inter alia, was active in Paris during the French Revolution. In the years 1794–95, William Short was an authorized diplomat in Spain and as a result the first American ambassador in Madrid. He conducted negotiations in Spain over treaties and agreements between both countries, the disagreement over the border between the USA and Spanish Florida (which was resolved by the 1795 Treaty of San Lorenzo) was among them. The exciting historical document testifies to the historic bilateral relations between Spain and the USA and is of great significance to this day!