English Tangier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids English Tangier طنجة الإنجليزية (Arabic)
1661–1684
Flag
Leonardo de Ferrari's plan of the Portuguese fortifications at Tangier, c. 1655
Status	Territory of the English Empire
History
• Given by Portugal as dowry	1661
• Battle of Tangier	1664
Preceded by Succeeded by Portuguese Tangier Alaouite dynasty
Today part of	Morocco

Wenceslaus Hollar's landscape of Tangier at the beginning of the English occupation

English Tangier was a time in Moroccan history when the city of Tangier was controlled by England. This happened from 1661 to 1684. Before England, Tangier was under Portuguese control.

England's King Charles II of England received Tangier as part of a dowry. This was a gift of money or property given when he married the Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza. This marriage strengthened an old alliance between England and Portugal.

England built forts and kept soldiers in Tangier. They had to defend it from Moroccan forces. But keeping Tangier was very expensive. It didn't offer much trade or military benefit to England.

Later, Morocco became united under the Alaouites. This made it even harder and more costly for England to hold Tangier. The English Parliament refused to give more money. This was partly due to worries about a Catholic king. So, in 1684, King Charles II decided to give up Tangier.

The English blew up the city's harbor and defenses. Then they left. Moroccan forces quickly took over the city.

History of English Tangier

Why England wanted Tangier

Tangier has a great natural harbor. It is located at the western end of the Strait of Gibraltar. This means whoever controlled Tangier could control ships entering or leaving the Mediterranean Sea. For a long time, Tangier was an important trading city.

Portuguese control of Tangier

The Portuguese began their empire by taking nearby Ceuta in 1415. They fought with Moroccan groups for many years. In 1471, the Portuguese took Asilah. This caused chaos in Tangier, allowing them to take it easily.

By the mid-1600s, things had changed. The Moroccan Saadi dynasty lost power. Local leaders, like Khadir Ghaïlan, took control of areas around Tangier. Ghaïlan often attacked Portuguese Tangier.

Meanwhile, the Alaouites grew stronger in Morocco. Mulai al-Rashid united most of Morocco by 1669. He wanted to take back the ports held by European countries.

Portugal was struggling in a war for its independence from Spain. It also faced attacks from the Dutch. Portugal needed England's help. So, they renewed their alliance with England.

The Royal Marriage and Dowry

King Charles II of England began talks to marry Catherine of Braganza. As part of the marriage agreement, Portugal offered Tangier and the island of Mumbai (then called Bombay) as a dowry.

Portugal was happy to give up Tangier. Its harbor was not very safe and was expensive to maintain. Portugal couldn't afford to defend Tangier while fighting Spain. They had even offered Tangier to France earlier to get help against Spain.

However, many people in Portugal and the army were not happy about giving Tangier to England. The governor of Tangier, Fernando de Meneses, 2nd Count of Ericeira, refused to cooperate. He was replaced by Luis de Almeida, conde de Avintes.

Other European Powers React

• Spain: Spain did not want England to have Tangier. An English navy base there would threaten Spain's ports and shipping routes. Spain even threatened war.
• Dutch Republic: The Dutch also did not want England to become stronger in the Mediterranean. They were competing with England for trade. They were also at war with Portugal and didn't want the Anglo-Portuguese alliance to grow.
• France: France welcomed the alliance between England and Portugal. At this time, France did not have a strong navy in the Mediterranean. So, England having Tangier was not a threat to them.

England's View

After King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, England's alliances changed. The idea of Charles marrying Catherine of Braganza was discussed. The Portuguese ambassador suggested the marriage and a new treaty.

English leaders, including Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, discussed the idea. They also asked naval officers about Tangier. The treaty was signed on June 23, 1661.

England takes control of Tangier

Admiral Sandwich arrives

Before the marriage, Admiral Sir Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich was sent to bring Catherine to England. He also had orders to deal with Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean.

Sandwich arrived in Lisbon and then sailed to Tangier in October 1661. He brought ships to help move the Portuguese soldiers out of Tangier. He stayed there for about three months, waiting for more English troops and a new governor.

During this time, Sandwich gathered information about Tangier's defenses. He also met with the local Moroccan leader, Ghaïlan.

Portuguese soldiers leave

On January 14, 1662, Portuguese soldiers in Tangier attacked the countryside. They took cattle and captured women. Moroccan forces fought back, killing many Portuguese soldiers.

The Portuguese governor asked Admiral Sandwich for help. Sandwich sent English sailors ashore to help defend the city. By January 23, Sandwich had hundreds of men on land. This meant the English were effectively taking control.

English soldiers arrive

On September 6, 1661, King Charles appointed Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, as the new governor of Tangier. Peterborough raised a regiment of soldiers in England. He arrived in Tangier with his forces on January 29, 1662.

The English soldiers landed on January 30, and the city was officially handed over. However, things were difficult. There wasn't enough housing for the 3,000 English troops. The English money was new to the people of Tangier. The Portuguese had also taken many things when they left.

Ghaïlan, the Moroccan leader, was fighting another Moroccan group. But he soon brought his army near Tangier. Peterborough tried to negotiate with him.

The English built forts around Tangier. But they never managed to control much land outside the city walls. The main English regiment, the Tangier Regiment, stayed in Tangier for 23 years.

Later Governors and Challenges

In 1674, William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin became governor. A school for the soldiers was started in 1675.

By 1676, keeping Tangier was costing England about £140,000 a year. A survey showed there were 2,225 people in the city, including soldiers, their families, a hospital, and a school.

On June 4, 1668, Tangier was made a free city by a special document. It would be governed by a mayor and council, like English towns.

The Final Years and Evacuation

Increased Moroccan pressure

In 1680, the Moroccan Sultan Moulay Ismail increased pressure on Tangier. He joined forces with the Chief of Fez to fight all foreign troops in Morocco. England had to send more soldiers to Tangier, bringing the total to 3,000.

New regiments, like the Royal Scots, were sent. They fought fiercely against the Moroccans who were trying to get into the town.

Keeping the Tangier garrison was very expensive. It had cost England almost two million pounds. Many lives were lost defending it. Also, Barbary pirates continued to attack English merchant ships.

In England, there were political problems. Some people worried that King Charles II was trying to create a large army in Tangier. They feared he wanted to ensure his Catholic brother, James, would become king and rule without Parliament.

Parliament refused to give the King more money for Tangier. They wanted him to agree to a law that would prevent his brother from becoming king. The King refused. He could no longer afford to keep Tangier.

Abandoning Tangier

In 1683, King Charles gave Admiral Lord Dartmouth secret orders to leave Tangier. Dartmouth was told to destroy the forts and the harbor. Then he was to take all the troops and families away.

Dartmouth sailed from Plymouth in August 1683. Samuel Pepys, a famous writer, went with him and wrote about the evacuation.

One of Dartmouth's main tasks was to get sick soldiers and families out of Tangier. Many people and their belongings had to be moved. He also bought the freedom of many English prisoners from Moroccan prisons.

All the forts and walls were prepared with explosives for destruction. On February 5, 1684, Tangier was officially left by the English. The city was left in ruins. The remaining soldiers returned to England.

What happened next

Some of the soldiers who left Tangier were given large areas of land in New York. For example, Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick, who was a lieutenant-governor in Tangier, became the governor of New York. William "Tangier" Smith, the last mayor of Tangier, received a large property on Long Island.

The Mole (Harbor Wall)

The English planned to make the harbor better by building a long wall called a mole. It was meant to be over 1,400 feet (430 meters) long. This project cost a lot of money before it was destroyed.

The improved harbor was planned to be 600 yards (550 meters) long and 30 feet (9 meters) deep at low tide. It would protect ships from rough seas. Work on the mole started in 1663 and continued for several years. With a better harbor, Tangier would have been as important as Gibraltar later became for the British navy.

Governors of English Tangier

See also

• List of governors of Tangier
• George Elliott, surgeon
• Roger Elliott
• Alexander Spotswood
• Tangier Protocol
• Tangier Garrison