St Eustatius: blockade running, plunder, and misconduct

St Eustatius helped merchants circumvent the British blockade and move military supplies to the American revolutionaries, making it a target for disrupting those supplies in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. Its defences were quickly overwhelmed, and Hood was sent after merchantmen that had already left. The volume of captured wealth then held Rodney and General Vaughan's attention for about ten months while they organized its removal. Rodney also treated Jewish merchants more harshly than other communities and drew criticism in Parliament. This unequal treatment extended beyond particular merchants to the Jewish community more generally. When the French retook the island, resistance was slight and money belonging to Rodney and his forces was captured.