Background
- Britain and France were at war with each other during the Napoleonic Wars.
- They were using blockades and trade embargoes to disrupt each other’s trade with foreign nations, such as the United States.
- Britain used Orders in Council, while Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, used the Continental System.
- The U.S. used economic sanctions to try to protect its trading rights.
Napoleon Relaxes the Continental System
- The St. Cloud Decree was announced by Napoleon on April 28, 1811.
- It allowed American and British ships to buy licenses.
- With the licenses, they could access access ports in southwest France and portions of Spain.
Additional Details
- Napoleon used the licenses to raise money to fund the ongoing French war effort.
- At first, the licenses were sold secretly, and the St. Cloud Decree publicly announced their availability.
- Napoleon was criticized for the licensing system, which had been secretly in operation since April 1811 and seemed to undermine the purpose of the Continental System.
Significance
The St. Cloud Decree is important to American History because it increased tensions between the United States, Great Britain, and France and restricted American trade. The tensions contributed to the outbreak of the War of 1812.
St. Cloud Decree APUSH
The St. Cloud Decree is part of the following units, topics, and chapters in the AP US History curriculum:
Unit 4: 1800–1848
- Topic 4.4 — America on the World Stage
American Pageant Notes
- Chapter 11 — Triumphs and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic (1800–1812)
- Chapter 12 — The Second War for Independence and the Upsurge of Nationalism (1812–1824)
American History Central
- Foreign Affairs in the New Nation
- War of 1812 — Causes of the War, Maritime Disputes
