ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the history of two towns, Natchez and New Madrid, from 1785 to 1790, to explore Spain’s new policy. It seeks to answer why and how the Spanish recruited settlers and speculators but also why Americans might choose to become Spanish subjects so shortly after achieving independence. Louisiana appealed to white Americans in the aftermath of the War for Independence because Spanish officials’ recruitment strategy tapped into the Revolutionary value of liberty, the essential promise of the American Revolution. The Americans’ challenge to Spanish sovereignty paradoxically helped consolidate Spain’s control over the district. Land-hungry Americans received a clear message that they could not count on Anglo settlers in Natchez to support an American takeover. Though the immigration of Americans into Natchez was a positive step in developing Louisiana, it was insufficient for Spain’s ultimate goals. Americans, trial by jury held a special importance.
