Presidents and Foreign Policy

Washington, Adams, Jefferson

French Revolution

• Shortly after the French help the colonies in a fight for independence, the French people decide they want independence, too.

• This fight for independence is far different from the Revolutionary War.

• Background on French Revolution…

• An estimated 65,000 soldiers and sailors died in the American Revolutionary War

• An estimated 40,000 French citizens died during the two-year reign of Terror during the French Revolution

• If you include the Napoleonic Wars, easily over 1,000,000 people died in the French Revolution

Genet Affair

• Edward Charles Genet-Sent by Giordins to negotiate with US, overstepping neutrality

• Commissions and agreement in South Carolina with governor Moultrie to encourage privateering of British ships

• Congress debates on what to do with him-Genet ignores government policies

• Negotiate a way to send him home, power changes in France keeps him in US

Relations with Europe

• The French Revolution starts shortly after GW becomes President

• Radicals in France kill the King and Queen, declare a revolution and declare war on Great Britain

• US trades with both countries• GW tries to maintain peace by

declaring the US is, “Friendly and Impartial to both countries”

• Things still get tense• British navy starts seizing neutral

ships headed to French ports, including US ships

• Rumors state British soldiers still in Northwest Territory are encouraging the Native Americans to attack the United States

• Something needs to be done• GW sends John Jay to Great Britain

to create a treaty and prevent a war

Jay’s Treaty• Great Britain knows the new nation is not

ready for a full fledged war with the British superpower, they drive a hard bargain

• Great Britain still seizes US ships headed to France

• Great Britain will not reimburse US merchants who lost care to Great Britain but agree to arbitration (3rd party)

• US gets “most favored nation” status in trade with Great Britain

• US gets rid of some of the British soldiers still in the Northwest Territory and opens ports

Reaction to Jay’s Treaty

• Senators think this treaty is awful, US gives up more than it gets

• Senators still agree to sign this bill into law so they can avoid a war with Great Britain, try to keep it quiet (10 to 20 vote)

• The American people find out about this treaty and are very unhappy, especially the Republicans (Jefferson)

Pinckney’s Treaty

• Thomas Pinckney from South Carolina • Spain joins France and Great Britain in

war but Spain wants to keep peace with the US

• Spain approaches the US about making a treaty-NEUTRALITY (seeing a pattern?)

• Spain gives US access to Mississippi River and New Orleans, helping to soothe Western farmers

Moving West

• By 1790, Western Settlements are expanding faster than any other part of US

• People in Northwest Territory experience trouble with the Native Americans, especially this guy…

• Native American chief Little Turtle forms Western Confederation of Native American groups

• Little Turtle beats US troops in two embarrassing losses (1790-1791)

• Washington sends massive amounts of troops, finally defeats Little Turtle (1794) at Battle of Fallen Timbers

Greenville Treaty

• 12 of the Native American groups from the Confederation sign the Greenville Treaty with the US

• Native Americans agree to give up their land for $10,000 annually from the federal government

• Settlers now feel safer to settle here

Washington’s Farewell Address

• Washington wrote a letter, addressed to the people of the United States, announcing he would not run again

• Two main ideas– Stay away from Political Parties– Don’t get involved in the politics of

other nations

Goodbye George

Election of 1796

• Federalist Candidate: John Adams• Republican Candidate: Thomas

Jefferson

• Electoral College-How do you decide?

• John Adams Wins!!• Problems?

Who is John Adams?

• Federalist party member• Delegate from Mass. for CC• European diplomat• Vice President to Washington• Married to Abigail Adams-intellectual

woman who fought for women’s right• Son=6th President JQA• Vigorous foreign policy

Quasi War with France

• French are upset by Jay’s Treaty, start seizing US ships headed to Great Britain

• Federalists call for war with France• John Marshall, Charles Pinckney,

and Elbridge Gerry go to France to negotiate in 1797

• They run into French Agents X, Y, an Z

XYZ Affair

• Marshall, Pinckney, and Gerry go all the way to France to try to make a treaty

• French Secret Agents (called X, Y, and Z) tell the US they must pay a bribe before negotiations can begin

• America gets mad, starts the Quasi-War with France

Quasi War• In 1798, the United States starts

a “Quasi-War” with France• This war is not recognized as an

official war and is only fought on the seas, thus Quasi-War

• Convention of 1800: Quasi-War ends in 1800, the US gives up claims for reparations, France releases US from Treaty of 1778

Alien and Sedition Acts

• The Quasi War causes domestic conflict

• Federalists got US involved in the Quasi War

• Republicans very harsh about Quasi War

• John Adams resents the statements Republican newspapers make about him

• Pass 4 laws dealing with foreign policy-arguments over what the purpose was

Alien and Sedition Act

1. Naturalization: Immigrants must wait 14 years to become citizens (they usually voted Republican)2. Alien Friends Act: Any immigrant could be deported without trial if deemed “dangerous to the peace” to the United States

3. Alien Enemies Act: Same as Friends Act except for males 14+ years from a hostile nation during a time of war4.Sedition Act (tried to keep people from inciting rebellion) it is a federal crime to publish anything “false, scandalous, or malicious” about gov’t

Is this Constitutional????

WHY OR WHY NOT?

VA and KY say NO!

• In response to Alien and Sedition Act, the Republican controlled legislatures of Virginia and Kentucky protest

• Both states argue the A&S Act to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL

• Madison and Virginia: public should oppose, universal alarm

• Jefferson and Kentucky: states should be able to nullify unconstitutional fed. laws

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Virginia Resolutions argue interposition—The States can place themselves between the people and the federal government to stop an illegal action of the government

• Kentucky Resolutions argue nullification—The states can declare an unconstitutional federal law to by invalid

• These aren’t important now, will be later

End Result?

• Alien and Sedition Acts cause the election of Jefferson as next President

• Alien FRIENDS act expires 1801, Sedition Act expires 1800

• Alien ENEMY act is kept…used during WWII for Japanese Internment camps

• Adams retires to his home; Jeffersonian era begins