- F rench ▁War . ▁Its ▁loss ▁dam aged ▁the ▁prest ige ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁government , ▁while ▁the ▁British ▁naval ▁block ade ▁sever ely ▁impact ed ▁the ▁economy , ▁which ▁was ▁highly ▁dependent ▁on ▁trade ▁with ▁its ▁South ▁American ▁colon ies , ▁particularly ▁the ▁import ▁of ▁silver ▁from ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁The ▁effect ▁was ▁to ▁place ▁the ▁Spanish ▁government ▁under ▁severe ▁political ▁and ▁financial ▁pressure , ▁the ▁national ▁deb t ▁increasing ▁eight fold ▁between ▁ 1 7 9 3 ▁and ▁ 1 7 9 8 . ▁Louisiana ▁was ▁only ▁part ▁of ▁Spain ' s ▁immense ▁emp ire ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁which ▁it ▁received ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 6 3 ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Paris . ▁Pre vent ing ▁enc ro achment ▁by ▁American ▁sett lers ▁into ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Bas in ▁was ▁cost ly ▁and ▁risk ed ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁US , ▁whose ▁merchant ▁ships ▁Spain ▁re lied ▁on ▁to ▁e va de ▁the ▁British ▁block ade . ▁ ▁Col on ies ▁were ▁viewed ▁as ▁valuable ▁assets ; ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁sugar ▁islands ▁of ▁Saint - Dom ing ue , ▁Martin ique , ▁and ▁Gu adel oupe ▁between ▁ 1 7 9 1 – 1 7 9 4 ▁had ▁a ▁huge ▁impact ▁on ▁French ▁business . ▁Rest oring ▁them ▁was ▁a ▁priority ▁and ▁when ▁Napoleon ▁seized ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁November ▁ 1 7 9 9 ▁C oup ▁of ▁ 1 8 ▁Br um aire , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁deput y ▁Charles ▁Tal ley rand ▁emphas ised ▁French