Convention of Pardo
Encyclopedia
The Convention of Pardo was a 1739 treaty
between Great Britain
and Spain
designed to find a solution to the issues of smuggling
, the Asiento
and freedom of the seas
that had strained relations between the two states for the past few decades, and was agreed to try to prevent war breaking out. It is also known as the Treaty of Pardo or the Convention of El Pardo.
, and had arrested the crews of numerous British ships and tortured some, such as the notable case of Robert Jenkins who had his ear cut off by Spanish Coast Guards. The issue provoked a surge of public opinion in Britain clamouring for a military solution. The Spanish were not in a position to fight, and were keen to avoid war. The British cabinet, dominated by Sir Robert Walpole and the Duke of Newcastle also wanted to maintain peace, and so the two sides met in Pardo
to discuss terms.
palace in Madrid
from late 1738. By January 1739 they had drawn up a basic agreement. The British had initially demanded £200,000 in compensation but ultimately reduced this claim to just £95,000. Spain had initially demanded unlimited rights to search vessels, but they had eventually agreed to territorial limits. Britain was also to pay Spain £68,000 in return for not-payment of proceeds from the Asiento
. The signatories also agreed to further discussion of the boundaries of Georgia
. The chief British negotiator Sir Benjamin Keene felt Britain had got a good deal from the Convention. It was signed on January 14.
. The war later become submerged into the wider War of the Austrian Succession
. The issues that had started the war were largely ignored during the Congress of Breda
and the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
that ended it in 1748 as they were no longer priorities for the two sides.
Some issues were eventually resolved in the 1750 Treaty of Madrid
, although illegal British trade with the Spanish colonies continued to flourish.
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
between Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
designed to find a solution to the issues of smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
, the Asiento
Asiento
The Asiento in the history of slavery refers to the permission given by the Spanish government to other countries to sell people as slaves to the Spanish colonies, between the years 1543 and 1834...
and freedom of the seas
Freedom of the seas
Freedom of the seas is a principle in the international law and law of the sea. It stresses freedom to navigate the oceans. It also disapproves of war fought in water. The freedom is to be breached only in a necessary international agreement....
that had strained relations between the two states for the past few decades, and was agreed to try to prevent war breaking out. It is also known as the Treaty of Pardo or the Convention of El Pardo.
Background
Spanish authorities had been trying to enforce a ban on foreign ships trading with Spanish colonies in the West Indies and South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and had arrested the crews of numerous British ships and tortured some, such as the notable case of Robert Jenkins who had his ear cut off by Spanish Coast Guards. The issue provoked a surge of public opinion in Britain clamouring for a military solution. The Spanish were not in a position to fight, and were keen to avoid war. The British cabinet, dominated by Sir Robert Walpole and the Duke of Newcastle also wanted to maintain peace, and so the two sides met in Pardo
Pardo
In Brazil, Pardo is a race/colour category used by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics in Brazilian censuses. It is a Portuguese word that encompasses various shades of brown, but is usually translated as "grayish-brown"...
to discuss terms.
Convention
Delegates from both sides met at the El PardoEl Pardo
The Royal Palace of El Pardo is a historical building near Madrid, Spain, in the present-day district of Fuencarral-El Pardo. Owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency, the palace began as a hunting lodge.-Overview:...
palace in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
from late 1738. By January 1739 they had drawn up a basic agreement. The British had initially demanded £200,000 in compensation but ultimately reduced this claim to just £95,000. Spain had initially demanded unlimited rights to search vessels, but they had eventually agreed to territorial limits. Britain was also to pay Spain £68,000 in return for not-payment of proceeds from the Asiento
Asiento
The Asiento in the history of slavery refers to the permission given by the Spanish government to other countries to sell people as slaves to the Spanish colonies, between the years 1543 and 1834...
. The signatories also agreed to further discussion of the boundaries of Georgia
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
. The chief British negotiator Sir Benjamin Keene felt Britain had got a good deal from the Convention. It was signed on January 14.
Aftermath
The Convention met with a very unfavourable reception when it was presented in London. Many of the merchant captains were extremely unhappy that the British compensation claim had been more than halved, while the South Sea Company were concerned by the agreement allowing the Spanish limited rights to search British ships. Within months the situation had turned sharply towards war, and the Convention grew increasingly fragile. By the end of 1739 both Britain and Spain had violated the Convention, and in October 1739 formal war was declared beginning the War of Jenkins' EarWar of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
. The war later become submerged into the wider War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
. The issues that had started the war were largely ignored during the Congress of Breda
Congress of Breda
The Congress of Breda often also known as the Breda peace talks were a series of negotiations between representatives of Great Britain and France in the Dutch city of Breda that took place between 1746 and 1748. They were designed to bring an end to the Austrian War of Succession and laid the...
and the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748 ended the War of the Austrian Succession following a congress assembled at the Imperial Free City of Aachen—Aix-la-Chapelle in French—in the west of the Holy Roman Empire, on 24 April 1748...
that ended it in 1748 as they were no longer priorities for the two sides.
Some issues were eventually resolved in the 1750 Treaty of Madrid
Treaty of Madrid
Treaty of Madrid may refer to:*Treaty of Madrid , in which France renounced claims in Italy, surrendered Burgundy to Spain, and abandoned sovereignty over Flanders and Artois....
, although illegal British trade with the Spanish colonies continued to flourish.