Methuen Treaty

The Methuen Treaty was a military and commercial treaty between England and Portugal signed in 1703 as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. Named after John Methuen, it actually refers to two treaties signed that year.

The treaty stipulated that no tax higher than the tax charged for an equal amount of French wines could be charged for Portuguese wines (but see below) exported to England, and that English textiles would be admitted to Portugal at all times, regardless of the geopolitical situation in each of the two nations (to ensure England would still accept Portuguese wine in periods when not at war with France).

The Methuen Treaty has been the subject of diverse interpretations. Detractors, including Luís da Cunha, argued that the influx of English woollens led to the decline of the Portuguese wool industry. Additionally, emphasis on wine production, while bringing prosperity to certain regions, left Portugal heavily reliant on England as its primary wine buyer. Critics contended that the focus on wine came at the expense of other agricultural sectors and redirected the nation away from its path towards industrialization.

In defense of the treaty, it has been asserted that Portugal lacked the necessary resources for substantial manufacturing endeavors,

Background

thumb|right|250px|Sir Paul Methuen (1672–1757)

thumb|250px|Manuel Teles da Silva, 3rd Marquis of Alegrete, 4th Count of Vila Maior (1682–1736)

At the start of the War of Spanish Succession Portugal was allied with France. As part of this treaty, the French had guaranteed the Portuguese naval protection. In 1702, the English navy sailed close to Lisbon on the way to and from Cádiz, proving to the Portuguese that the French could not keep their promise. They soon began negotiations with the Grand Alliance about switching sides.

There were actually two Methuen Treaties. Both were negotiated for England in Lisbon by John Methuen ( 1650–1706), who served as a member of Parliament, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Privy Counsellor, envoy and then ambassador extraordinary to Portugal. The first, signed in May, was a military alliance that cemented allegiances in the War of Spanish Succession, and was a 4-party treaty negotiated by Karl Ernst, Graf von Waldstein for the emperor, Francisco van Schonenberg (AKA Jacob Abraham Belmonte, c.q. Francesco Belmonte) for the United Provinces, and King Pedro II for Portugal, with Methuen's son Sir Paul Methuen (1672–1757) aiding him. The second one, the more well-known trade treaty, was a 2-party treaty signed on 27 December for England by Methuen and for Portugal by Manuel Teles da Silva, 3rd Marquis of Alegrete (1682–1736).

The early years of the War of Spanish Succession, in Flanders, had been rather fruitless. The Tory Party in England was concerned about the cost of the war, and felt that naval warfare was a much cheaper option, with greater potential for success. Portugal offered the advantage of deep-water ports near the Mediterranean which could be used to counter the French Naval base at Toulon.

Treaty

There were three major elements to the Methuen Treaties. The first was the establishment of the war aims of the Grand Alliance.

The first treaty also established the numbers of troops the various countries would provide to fight the campaign in Spain. The Portuguese also insisted that Archduke Charles would come to Portugal to lead the forces in order to ensure full allied commitment to the war in Spain. This was particularly important in helping the development of the port industry. As England was at war with France, it became increasingly difficult to acquire wine, The 1786 Eden Agreement between Britain and France caused Portugal to relent in 1787 and allow Ireland low tariffs.

Methuen Treaty

Background

Treaty

References

Bibliography

Further reading