List of ambassadors of the United States to Morocco

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Morocco. Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States of America in 1777. James Simpson was appointed the first U.S. consul, and arrived on December 7, 1797, at Tangier to assume his duties and establish the U.S. consulate. Simpson served for over twenty years, until his death on March 8, 1820. In 1821, as a gift to the United States, Sultan Moulay Suleiman gave a building for the consulate’s use, which was the first property abroad owned by the United States. The building is now the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM). In 1912 Morocco came under France and Spain as protectorates. The United States did not initially recognize the French and Spanish protectorates over Morocco. However, in 1917 upon U.S. entry into the First World War, the U.S. government recognized the protectorates. The U.S. Minister at Tangier was downgraded to the status of Diplomatic Agent. In 1956 the U.S. recognized Morocco’s independence, established an embassy in Rabat, and appointed a ranking ambassador, Cavendish W. Cannon.