Adams–Onís Treaty

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/adamsons-treaty

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of ratification?February 22, 1819
2. What is the territorial transfer?Spain ceded East Florida and West Florida to the United States
3. Why did Spain decide to give Florida to the United States?Spain thought Florida was hard to defend and had few Spanish settlers, so it was a burden. Giving it to the U.S. helped Spain focus on other important colonies and solved border problems.
4. Who were John Quincy Adams and Luis de Onís?John Quincy Adams was the U.S. Secretary of State who helped write the treaty, and Luis de Onís was the Spanish minister who signed it for Spain. Their names are in the treaty’s title.

Ratification: The formal approval of a treaty or agreement by the legislative body of a country.
Territorial Claims: Assertions of ownership or sovereignty over a geographical area.
Diplomatic Negotiations: Discussions and bargaining between representatives of countries to reach an agreement.
Geopolitical: Relating to politics, especially international relations, as influenced by geographical factors.