Two days before,  a major battle had been fought at Wad Ras on the road to Tangier.  This ended in the complete defeat of Moroccan forces at the hands of the Spanish troops under General Leopold O'Donnell.  Earlier Spanish demands for an armistice and preliminary negotiations of a peace had been rejected in February but now Moroccan authorities had little choice and an armistice took effect.  (By John Osborne)

A previous armistice had broken down when Moroccan authorities had rejected Spanish demands after the capture of Tetuan.  The Spanish, under General Leopold O'Donnell, had resumed operations and a major battle was fought at Wad Ras on the road to Tangier.  The Moroccan forces were again completely defeated and this time Spanish demands for an armistice and preliminary negotiations of a peace were agreed to on March 25, 1860.  (By John Osborne)

The recent victories of Garibaldi in southern and central Italy had made possible further unification of Italy.  A plebiscite of the population followed and by decree from Naples Victor Emanuel II declared that the Neapolitan Provinces were now part of the Italian state.  A similar decree on the same day did the same for Sicily and Umbria. Modern Italy had now mostly been formed.  (By John Osborne)

The recent plebiscite in Tuscany had established that the vast majority of Tuscans wished to be annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia so as to join the swiftly moving march towards a united Italy.  Victor Emmanuel II decreed this so on March 22, 1860.  From Dresden in Germany, the deposed Ferdinand, Grand Duke of Tuscany, made an official protest against this act and appealed to the French Emperor and the international community. (By John Osborne)

The recent plebiscite in northern Italy had established that the vast majority of residents there wished to be annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia so as to join the swiftly moving march towards a united Italy.  By decree from Turin, Victor Emmanuel II declared that Tuscany was now a part of his kingdom.  When the Neapolitan States were annexed in December, 1860, modern Italy had mostly been formed.  (By John Osborne)

The recent plebiscite in northern Italy had established that the vast majority of residents there wished to be annexed by Piedmont-Sardinia so as to join the swiftly moving march towards a united Italy.  Almost immediately King Victor Emmanuel of Piedmont-Sardinia decreed from Turin that the provinces that made up Emilia, which included Bologna, Modena, Parma, were now a part of his kingdom. Tuscany followed four days later.  (By John Osborne)

Governor John Letcher of Virginia requested the extradition of Owen Brown and Francis Merriam who had been indicted in Jefferson County, Virginia for their role in the Harpers Ferry Raid the previous October.  The two had been seen in Ashtabula County, Ohio.  Governor William Dennison refused the request three days later, much to the consternation of politicians and newspaper editors all over the South.  (By John Osborne)