E

The New England conspiracy, the Yazoo controversy, and the
intrigues of Burr, are admirably recounted by Henry Adams. His
account may be corrected at various points, however, by consulting
W. F. McCaleb, _The Aaron Burr Conspiracy_ (1903). A brief account
of the intrigues and plots of this time may be found in Channing,
_The Jeffersonian System, 1801-1811_ (1906). The intrigues of the
Federalists in New England have been described recently with new
information by S. E. Morison, _Life and Letters of Harrison Gray
Otis_ (2 vols., 1913). Other biographies of importance are H. C.
Lodge, _Life and Letters of George Cabot_ (1877); James Parton,
_Life and Times of Aaron Burr_ (1858); J. S. Bassett, _Life of
Andrew Jackson_ (2 vols., 1911). The trial of Burr is described in
popular fashion by F. T. Hill, _Decisive Battles of the Law_
(1907). The origin and subsequent history of the Yazoo affair may
be traced in C. H. Haskins, "The Yazoo Land Companies" (in the
_American Historical Association Papers_, 1891).

CHAPTER X

PEACEABLE COERCION

The so-called Peace of Amiens in 1801 proved to be only an interlude in
the wars of France with Europe. Within two years hostilities were
renewed which closed only with the battle of Waterloo. In the course of
this prolonged conflict Napoleon won and lost for France the ascendency
in central and western Europe, but Great Britain remained throughout
mistress of the seas. The commerce of France and of Holland and Spain,
which had become virtually her dependencies, was almost driven from the
seas. For their foodstuffs and colonial supplies, more than ever in
demand as war devastated the fields of Europe, these nations had to look
to vessels flying neutral flags. The export trade of the United States,
which had fallen from $94,000,000 in the year 1801 to $55,800,000 in
1803, rapidly recovered until in 1805 it passed the high-water mark of
the earlier year. More than half of this trade was in products of the
tropics, for while the direct trade between the West India colonies and
Europe was forbidden by the so-called "Rule of 1756," American shippers
carried on a lucrative traffic which was virtually direct. Products
brought from the West Indies to American ports were promptly reshipped
as part of American stock to European ports; and the British courts had
held that this importation had broken the voyage