# Did Spain and USA ever bilaterally settle Spain's claim to Louisiana?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-spain-and-usa-ever-bilaterally-settle-spains-claim-to-louisiana/778451>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-spain-and-usa-ever-bilaterally-settle-spains-claim-to-louisiana/778451 "2017-01-29T00:32:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-spain-and-usa-ever-bilaterally-settle-spains-claim-to-louisiana/778451/1 "2017-01-29T00:32:40Z")

</div>

As I understand it, the [Third Treaty of San Ildefonso](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Treaty_of_San_Ildefonso) conditioned the retrocession of Louisiana to France on France not turning around and selling to the Yankees. _Which France did._ That could imply that Spain continued to have a claim to that territory as part of New Spain.

Have Spain and the USA ever settled this between the two of them? That is, did Spain and USA ever bilaterally settle Spain’s claim to Louisiana? Or do I have a (paper-thin) case for declaring allegiance to the King of Spain and repudiating the USA?

I’ve wondered about this for a while.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-spain-and-usa-ever-bilaterally-settle-spains-claim-to-louisiana/778451/2 "2017-01-29T01:13:14Z")

</div>

It seems that the [Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams%E2%80%93On%C3%ADs_Treaty) settled any remaining questions about the territory which Spain actually cared about. Of course, around that time, Spain recognized Mexican independence, which effectively knocked Spain out of the region entirely, rendering the point moot.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-spain-and-usa-ever-bilaterally-settle-spains-claim-to-louisiana/778451/3 "2017-01-29T04:59:28Z")

</div>

Hole in one to **Derleth.**

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-spain-and-usa-ever-bilaterally-settle-spains-claim-to-louisiana/778451/4 "2017-01-29T06:34:12Z")

</div>

Thank you.