France demands her colonies back in the ARW

France demonstrated twice in this period - in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries - that they could not get enough resources (human and otherwise) into North America to hold it in the face of an enemy that had a stronger resources base in North America.

I wouldn't say they couldn't do it; France was the most populous European kingdom at this time, after all. It was more that North America simply wasn't that high of a priority for the French crown. Canada produced two main export items, furs and fish, and neither required massive human settlement. In fact, massive settlement would have been detrimental to the population of fur-bearing animals. French kings in general seemed to view the Americas more as a place to make money than a place to settle lots of people.

Saint-Domingue was a high priority and France was strongly committed to defending and holding onto it. The problem in 1803 - aside from the yellow fever epidemic that wiped out Leclerc's army - was that external circumstances (the renewal of war in Europe) forced Napoleon to turn elsewhere. If he had remained at peace in Europe, he surely would have sent reinforcements to the colony.
 
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TFSmith121

Banned
Except the historical lesson is pretty clear; by the Nineteneth Century,

Except the historical lesson is pretty clear; by the Nineteenth Century, without strong "local" allies, NONE of the European powers could hold significant territory in the Americas.

As witness the French loss of New France, the losses in Haiti and Mexico, and the decision to sell Louisiana;

As do the British loss in the Revolution, the 1806-07 expeditions to La Plata, and the inability to force a decision in 1812-15;

As do the Spanish losses, from Mexico to Argentina and Chile through the 1820s, and the failures of the various Spanish efforts to re-visit the issue in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Chincha Islands;

As does the Portuguese loss of Brazil;

as does, finally, the Russian sale of Alaska and, truthfully, the British push toward confederation in Canada.

The distances are just too great, once the "locals" are capable of resisting - and opening their doors to Europeans the European powers could NOT attract to their remaining territories...

The biggest reason was simply that there was always something else more attractive to do with the money in Europe (or the Med, and points east); and if not, even if the French (or wheover) didn't have something else to occupy their energies closer to home, one of their European neighbors would see an opportunity to make gains.

Basically, continental power politics was such that there was always someone to take advantage of the situation.

Best,
 
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