1795-July-22: During the peace negotiations at Basel, the French Executive Directory formally demanded that Spain retrocede the territory of Louisiana.

1795-July-22: During the peace negotiations at Basel, the French Executive Directory formally demanded that Spain retrocede the territory of Louisiana. Although the Spanish envoy successfully resisted this specific demand, Spain did agree to cede the eastern portion of Hispaniola to France. This territorial shift gave France legal sovereignty over the entire island, though it remained militarily and economically fragile. The French government continued to view Louisiana as the missing agricultural link needed to sustain its West Indian empire. The Treaty of Basel underscored France’s persistent efforts to rebuild its power base in the Western Hemisphere.