1775-October-13: The Committee of the Whole of the Continental Congress passed a resolution recommending that the various revolutionary assemblies export dom…

1775-October-13: The Committee of the Whole of the Continental Congress passed a resolution recommending that the various revolutionary assemblies export domestic products to the foreign West Indies. The primary goal of this policy was to obtain “arms, ammunition, sulphur and salt petre” in exchange for American goods. This move formally sanctioned the use of Caribbean ports, including those in Saint-Domingue, as essential hubs for military procurement. British diplomats quickly began to complain that French colonial authorities were facilitating the transfer of these munitions to the rebelling colonies. The resolution demonstrated the strategic necessity of the Caribbean trade for the survival of the American military effort.