Treaty of Fontainebleau (1762) facts for kids

The Treaty of Fontainebleau was a secret agreement made in 1762. In this agreement, the Kingdom of France gave up a huge area called Louisiana to Spain.

This treaty happened after the last big battle of the French and Indian War in North America. That battle, the Battle of Signal Hill in September 1762, showed that Britain now controlled Canada. At the same time, a larger war called the Seven Years' War was still happening in Europe.

Because France had lost Canada, King Louis XV of France decided to offer Louisiana to King Charles III of Spain. This included the city of New Orleans and the island it was on. King Louis suggested this on November 13, 1762, and King Charles agreed just ten days later, on November 23, 1762.

What Louisiana Was

This secret agreement covered all of French Louisiana. This was a massive area, stretching from the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. It included the entire valley of the Mississippi River.

The Treaty of Fontainebleau was kept a secret for a long time. It was even secret when France was negotiating and signing another important agreement, the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The Treaty of Paris officially ended the war with Britain.

How Louisiana Was Divided

The Treaty of Paris, signed between France and Great Britain, also dealt with Louisiana. It split Louisiana into two parts along the Mississippi River. The eastern part was given to Britain. The western part and New Orleans were officially kept by France, but only for a short time.

Spain did not argue about Britain taking eastern Louisiana. This was because Spain already knew it would soon control western Louisiana. Also, as part of the Treaty of Paris, Spain had given Florida to Britain. Getting western Louisiana was like a trade for losing Florida.

Colonists and the Secret

The Treaty of Paris allowed French colonists 18 months to move if they did not want to live under British rule. Many of these colonists moved to Louisiana. They thought they were still moving to a French colony.

However, they later found out that France had secretly given Louisiana to Spain. The secret was finally revealed in 1764. King Louis XV sent a letter on April 21, 1764, to the governor, Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie. In the letter, he explained the change. He hoped that the Spanish King would treat the people of Louisiana well.

The Louisiana Rebellion

The French colonists in western Louisiana were not happy about becoming Spanish subjects. In 1768, they even kicked out the first Spanish governor, Antonio de Ulloa. This event is known as the Louisiana Rebellion of 1768.

To stop the rebellion, Spain sent Alejandro O'Reilly. He was an Irish soldier working for Spain. O'Reilly successfully put down the rebellion. In 1769, he officially took control of Louisiana for Spain and raised the Spanish flag. This made Spain's claim to the land very clear.

Spain's Growing Empire

Taking control of Louisiana made Spain's empire in North America much stronger. Later, in 1783, after the American Revolutionary War, Great Britain gave Florida back to Spain.

With Florida back, Spanish territory completely surrounded the Gulf of Mexico. It stretched from Florida in the east all the way west to the Pacific Ocean. To the north, it reached Canada, west of the Mississippi River.