1789-June-28: The French Council of State, reacting to the protests of domestic merchants in Bordeaux and Nantes, formally annulled Governor-General Du Chill…
1789-June-28: The French Council of State, reacting to the protests of domestic merchants in Bordeaux and Nantes, formally annulled Governor-General Du Chilleau’s decree and dismissed him from his post. The French government reaffirmed the strict mercantilist policy of the “Exclusif,” which mandated that the colonies must remain a closed market for the benefit of the mother country. This reversal caused significant disruption for American merchants like Stephen Girard, who had already committed large shipments of flour to Saint-Domingue based on the short-lived opening. The dismissal of Du Chilleau underscored the deep-seated conflict between the colonial administration’s need for American supplies and the metropole’s desire for a commercial monopoly. This event served as a catalyst for increased resentment among the white planters of Saint-Domingue toward the French central government.