ADAMS CHRONICLES: Volume XII: "A One Thousand and One Nights."

About this Book:

Dating back to the dawn of American independence, Moroccan and American relations are among the strongest, richest, and most diverse relations binding two different nations together for hundreds of years. Despite the volatility of the international political scene in the modern era, these relations have remained stable, giving a stunning example of solid bilateral cooperation.

The Moorish empire - shrunk through different historical processes to what is known today as Morocco - was the leading power in North Africa and a major player on the international scene for centuries. Its territory once stretched over the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula into France, especially during the reign of the Almoravid's dynasty in the 11th century (1). Its political influence on the world was enormous not only because of its powerful army and control over the sea, but also because of its strategic location at the crossroads between Africa, Europe, America, and Asia.

When America was in an arduous struggle for independence from Britain, Morocco was the first country to recognize the still-contentious independence of the United States by decree of Sultan Mohamed Ben Abdallah in December 1777. Morocco also immediately granted the American ships permission to "come and traffic freely in Moroccan ports in like manner as they formerly did under the English flag.[2]