The United States And Morocco, 1776 - 1956

It is surprising that the part played by the United States in Morocco since 1776 has been almost entirely neglected in both American history and in the innumerable volumes written by English, German, French, Spanish, and other European historians. No study has hitherto been made of American-Moroccan relations as a whole, although some episodes have been publicized. As a domestic problem, the unpublished consular dispatches in the National Archives reveal a sordid story of the inefficiency, ignorance, corruption, and immoral conduct of many of the American consuls serving before and during the 20th century. This record is not redeemed by that of the State Department, whose actions during that time may be characterized as inefficient, negligent and frequently parsimonious.