In October of 1795, Thomas Pinckney, the U.S. representative in Spain, negotiated Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain. This treaty established cordial relations with Spain, allowed the United States to navigate the Mississippi River, and set the boundary of Florida at 31 degrees north latitude. However, the greatest success of the treaty was its resolution of the western boundary of the United States, which was set along the 31st parallel to the Mississippi River. Spain also granted United States citizens the “right of deposit” at the port of New Orleans for three years. This right, which could be renewed, allowed western settlers to use the port duty-free while their flatboats were loaded onto ocean vessels.
The Senate ratified the treaty unanimously on March 3, 1796, and President Washington signed it into law 11 days later.