"Do We Have Any Records Relating to French Spoliation" Topic

…Claims?

"What are French spoliation claims? I'm glad you asked. French spoliation claims are claims presented by United States citizens against France, Spain, and Holland for vessels and cargo taken by privateers prior to September 30, 1800, and condemned at ports controlled by those countries. A majority of the vessels were captured during the Quasi-War between the United States and France (1797–1801), although the French spoliation claims can include all property captured by the French at any time.

Franco-American relations became strained in the late eighteenth century for several reasons. While France was at war with Great Britain, the United States attempted to remain neutral but encountered many difficulties due to harassment of its merchant vessels by both belligerents. When Jay's Treaty was signed on November 19, 1794, in an attempt to improve Anglo-American relations, the French viewed it as a violation of earlier agreements signed with their government, as well as a violation of American neutrality. As a result, the French government passed several decrees permitting their privateers off the coasts of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and the West Indies to capture American merchant vessels.1

Efforts by American diplomats to persuade the French to revoke the decrees and pay for the indemnities failed. Tempers flared, both in the United States and France, but neither formally declared war. The United States formed a small navy, hired privateers, and allowed merchant vessels to arm themselves for defensive purposes. Congress also revoked the treaties signed with France in 1778 and 1788 and authorized the recruitment of a regular army to prepare for possible invasion…"

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Armand

Actually, yes, we do.

There is a Master's thesis I used in a paper a couple of semesters ago regarding the Quasi-War where the author traced a claim her family had from that time until its final conclusion in the late 1800's, I believe it was. During the course of the paper, she cited quite a few claims.

In my current research on USS Ganges, I am reading through the three Supreme Court cases centered around Prize Law that were heard as a result of the Quasi-War and it is leading in some interesting directions. So there are, indeed, records relating to spoilation by French privateers, extant.

Eric