1801-July-01: Rumors regarding the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso, which retroceded Louisiana from Spain to France, began to reach the United States and heav…

1801-July-01: Rumors regarding the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso, which retroceded Louisiana from Spain to France, began to reach the United States and heavily influenced policy toward Saint-Domingue. James Madison realized that France intended to use Louisiana as an agricultural storehouse to make its West Indian colonies independent of American supplies. In meetings with the French chargé d’affaires, Louis-André Pichon, Madison suggested that France might need to abandon its Louisiana plans if it desired American concessions or cooperation in Saint-Domingue. He effectively used the “Haitian question” as a lever in the larger diplomatic struggle over the control of the Mississippi Valley. This linkage demonstrated that American interest in Toussaint’s autonomy was increasingly tied to the goal of preventing a French military presence on the North American continent.