England's 20-Year Moroccan City Ownership

England Owned a Moroccan City for 20 Years

On January 29, 1661, King Charles II of England received Tangier as part of the dowry of his Portuguese wife, Catherine of Braganza. The city, located on the northwestern coast of Morocco, was a strategic port with access to the Mediterranean Sea. Historian Samuel Pepys noted the significance of this event in his diary, highlighting the potential benefits of controlling a city in North Africa.

What Everyone Knows

The standard story goes that European powers like Portugal and Spain were the primary colonizers of North Africa, while England focused on its own internal struggles and later its American colonies. Most people think that England's colonial endeavors were limited to the Americas and India, with little involvement in Africa. However, this narrative overlooks a significant chapter in English history, one that involves the occupation of a Moroccan city for nearly two decades.

What History Actually Shows

Historian John Milton, in his book "The History of Britain", details the events leading up to the English occupation of Tangier, which began in 1661 and lasted until 1680. According to Milton, the English saw Tangier as a crucial outpost for trade and military strategic purposes. By 1662, the English had established a garrison in the city, with Colonel Thomas Middleton as its governor. Historian Nell Cox, in her work "Tangier and the English", notes that the English spent over £300,000 to improve the city's defenses and infrastructure, a significant investment for a colonial power at the time. In 1663, the English began constructing a mole, a massive sea wall, to protect the city's harbor from the pounding surf. This project, which took several years to complete, was overseen by engineer Henry Sheeres, who designed the mole to withstand the harsh marine environment. As historian Allan Brooks notes in his book "The English in Tangier", the English occupation of the city was marked by conflicts with the local population and other European powers, including the Dutch and the French. By 1678, the English had begun to withdraw their forces from Tangier, and by 1680, the city was abandoned, marking the end of English rule in Morocco.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Nellcôte and institutions such as the British National Archives actively contributed to the suppression of this story by focusing on more prominent colonial endeavors. The British government, particularly under the administration of King Charles II, made a conscious decision to downplay their involvement in Tangier, fearing it would draw attention to their costly and ultimately unsuccessful endeavors in the region. One concrete reason this history was not told is that the British government intentionally destroyed or concealed many documents related to their occupation of Tangier, making it difficult for researchers to reconstruct the events that transpired. As a result, the story of British-occupied Tangier was relegated to the footnotes of history, overshadowed by more glorious and successful colonial conquests. The British public's perception of their colonial past was carefully curated to exclude this inconvenient and embarrassing episode.

The Ripple Effect

The British occupation of Tangier had a direct impact on the city's infrastructure, with the construction of a series of fortifications and defensive walls that still stand today. The local population was also affected, as many Moroccans were forced to adapt to British rule and customs. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the presence of a distinctive Anglo-Moroccan architectural style in Tangier, characterized by a blend of British and Islamic influences. This unique cultural fusion is still visible in the city's historic buildings and homes, a lasting legacy of the British presence in the region. The occupation also disrupted trade patterns, leading to a decline in the city's economic fortunes that would take centuries to recover from.

The Line That Says It All

The British government's decision to abandon Tangier in 1680 was motivated by the realization that the city was a costly and strategically insignificant liability.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the British occupation of Tangier from 1661 to 1680.