raharris1973
Well-known member
What is the trajectory of Spanish Louisiana (& Florida) without Napoleonic France taking it back?
France arranged for Spain to restore western Louisiana to French control after a lapse of 37 years of Spanish rule, by the secret treaty of San Ildefonso of 1800.
The idea that Talleyrand and Napoleon had for restored Louisiana was that it would be the 'breadbasket' and food surplus provider for the Saint-Domingue colony on the island of Hispaniola once French forces fully established order there, reestablished slavery and plantation production operations.
But as the Haiti campaign failed in the face of Haitian resistance and tropical disease, Napoleon had buyer's (or acquirer's) remorse, and decided to sell the now relatively worthless and soon to be endangered [with war with Britain imminently expected] colony to the USA.
Napoleon's remorse and last minute decision when his western hemisphere gamble started to crumble to cut his losses and liquidate for cash, only illustrates how dumb his and Talleyrand's decision was to invest diplomatic capital and resources into regaining Louisiana in the first place [they had to provide the Spanish six ships of the line as well as territorial promises in Italy in return]. They should have been sensitive to the vulnerability of the territory to British blockade all along. They were at war with Britain and had been for nearly a decade in 1800 when they pressed for the retrocession of Louisiana, and British naval superiority had already spoil major French operations in Egypt by destroying the French fleet at Aboukir Bay, and by preventing any scaled French landings in Ireland in support of the risings of 98.
Furthermore, the Haiti operation failed, and not surprisingly, the restoration of slavery failed too. But even if it hadn't, nothing suggest that Louisiana was a vital adjunct to Haiti/Saint-Domingue. France ruled and profited from Saint-Domingue handsomely in all the years from 1763 to 1792. If Haiti needed to further specialize in sugar and coffee and import more of its food to let that happen, Yankee traders would be more than happy to sell American grain and meat to plantations on the island. The most dangerous place to be is standing between a Yank and his profit opportunity. Likewise, Mexican hacienda owners and merchants would be happy to sell Mexican corn and beans to feed Haitian plantations for coffee and sugar.
So - The French don't bother. And thus the imperative, and near-term urgency, for the US to purchase Louisiana in 1803 disappears.
What is likely to happen with Louisiana over the next couple decades after 1803? Spanish America should be ripe for revolution, because nothing written here should spare Spain from the ruin of the peninsular war. America should not have special urgency in the couple years after 1803 to change the status quo because the Spanish authorities would, by precedent, keep observing the right of deposit, at a low cost, to American merchants.
The Napoleonic Wars and Royal Navy impressment should create Anglo-American tensions, overshadowing for the moment any American-Spanish tensions over the Florida border, or New Orleans.
At the time, increasing number of American citizens would surely be moving west of the Mississippi to settle in lands in Luisiana under Spanish jurisdiction, with or without Spanish Crown patents or permission.
Does that mean they will be 'Texas'ing' and rebelling to form independent republics? Maybe, but not inevitably, and we can't know when relations would reach such a breaking point.
Also, Spanish-America's revolutions should be rocking New Spain, adjacent to Luisiana. But would Mexico inherit Luisiana, or would the Spanish fleet support continued Spanish control directly by sea and Cuba through New Orleans.
France arranged for Spain to restore western Louisiana to French control after a lapse of 37 years of Spanish rule, by the secret treaty of San Ildefonso of 1800.
The idea that Talleyrand and Napoleon had for restored Louisiana was that it would be the 'breadbasket' and food surplus provider for the Saint-Domingue colony on the island of Hispaniola once French forces fully established order there, reestablished slavery and plantation production operations.
But as the Haiti campaign failed in the face of Haitian resistance and tropical disease, Napoleon had buyer's (or acquirer's) remorse, and decided to sell the now relatively worthless and soon to be endangered [with war with Britain imminently expected] colony to the USA.
Napoleon's remorse and last minute decision when his western hemisphere gamble started to crumble to cut his losses and liquidate for cash, only illustrates how dumb his and Talleyrand's decision was to invest diplomatic capital and resources into regaining Louisiana in the first place [they had to provide the Spanish six ships of the line as well as territorial promises in Italy in return]. They should have been sensitive to the vulnerability of the territory to British blockade all along. They were at war with Britain and had been for nearly a decade in 1800 when they pressed for the retrocession of Louisiana, and British naval superiority had already spoil major French operations in Egypt by destroying the French fleet at Aboukir Bay, and by preventing any scaled French landings in Ireland in support of the risings of 98.
Furthermore, the Haiti operation failed, and not surprisingly, the restoration of slavery failed too. But even if it hadn't, nothing suggest that Louisiana was a vital adjunct to Haiti/Saint-Domingue. France ruled and profited from Saint-Domingue handsomely in all the years from 1763 to 1792. If Haiti needed to further specialize in sugar and coffee and import more of its food to let that happen, Yankee traders would be more than happy to sell American grain and meat to plantations on the island. The most dangerous place to be is standing between a Yank and his profit opportunity. Likewise, Mexican hacienda owners and merchants would be happy to sell Mexican corn and beans to feed Haitian plantations for coffee and sugar.
So - The French don't bother. And thus the imperative, and near-term urgency, for the US to purchase Louisiana in 1803 disappears.
What is likely to happen with Louisiana over the next couple decades after 1803? Spanish America should be ripe for revolution, because nothing written here should spare Spain from the ruin of the peninsular war. America should not have special urgency in the couple years after 1803 to change the status quo because the Spanish authorities would, by precedent, keep observing the right of deposit, at a low cost, to American merchants.
The Napoleonic Wars and Royal Navy impressment should create Anglo-American tensions, overshadowing for the moment any American-Spanish tensions over the Florida border, or New Orleans.
At the time, increasing number of American citizens would surely be moving west of the Mississippi to settle in lands in Luisiana under Spanish jurisdiction, with or without Spanish Crown patents or permission.
Does that mean they will be 'Texas'ing' and rebelling to form independent republics? Maybe, but not inevitably, and we can't know when relations would reach such a breaking point.
Also, Spanish-America's revolutions should be rocking New Spain, adjacent to Luisiana. But would Mexico inherit Luisiana, or would the Spanish fleet support continued Spanish control directly by sea and Cuba through New Orleans.
