Treaty of Westminster

Background. Following the joint attack on the Dutch Republic by England and France in 1672, sustained Royal Navy efforts to defeat the Dutch fleet failed in 1673. English dismay grew as Dutch raiders captured more English ships and retaken New Amsterdam. Parliament criticized the war's necessity, noting English trade growth between 1667 and 1672.

Negotiations. In late October, Charles II requested a war budget from Parliament. The States General revealed a peace offer from Louis XIV, despite prior agreements against separate peace. On 4 January 1674, the Dutch drafted a final proposal. Charles presented this to Parliament, denying secret Treaty of Dover provisions, which satisfied members who had been informed beforehand.

Key Provisions. The treaty provided for the return of New Netherland to England and renewed the Treaty of Breda. It established a mixed commission for commerce regulation in the East Indies. The Dutch paid two million guilders over three years, and English maritime rights were affirmed from Lands End to the Norwegian coast.

Territorial Adjustments. New Netherland, retaken by the Dutch in 1673, became an English possession. Suriname remained a Dutch colony, legalizing the 1667 status quo. Islands of Tobago, Saba, St Eustatius, and Tortola, taken by the English in 1672, were returned to the Dutch.