thus the "Spanish Intrigue," which has since puzzled 

 historians, had its start. 



Many beheved that Wilkinson, a famous American 

 general who had served with Benedict Arnold in the 

 Quebec campaign, was involved in a plot to separate 

 the western territories from the United States and place 

 them under the protection of Spain. Whether or not 

 this was true, when Wilkinson returned to Frankfort 

 in February of 1788, New Orleans was opened to 

 American trade. The Spanish authorities, already large 

 buyers of Mississippi and Louisiana tobacco, now of- 

 fered to buy the commodity from both Kentucky and 

 Tennessee. 



T 



he Mississippi opens to tobacco 



In December, 1788, a royal order issued in Seville 

 permitted Americans to enter goods at Mississippi River 

 ports on payment of the Spanish entry duty. Initially, 

 Wilkinson was shocked at hearing of the Spanish order. 

 He had planned to monopolize trade with the Spanish 

 at New Orleans. He was now competing with the rest 

 of the country. But though the river was open to those 

 who dared risk its passage, Wilkinson had the advan- 

 tage of precedence, the right political connections and 

 a developing organization. 



All shipments were at the owners' risk— and the risks 

 were there. Apart from the physical hazards of river 

 traffic that caused boats to capsize, sink or run aground, 

 there were river pirates and Indians to contend with. 

 For awhile too, outlaws and white renegades infested 

 the long route. They were dangerous, for a call for 

 help, afloat or ashore, when sympathetically answered, 



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