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Challenges of a New Nation

Foreign Relation Challenges faced by George Washington

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The French Have Their Own Revolution

• In 1789, the people of France revolt against their abusive monarchy (sound familiar?)

• Initially, many Americans supported the revolution of France since the first stages of the revolution were not unlike America’s dethroning of Britain.

• After the revolution turned radical and bloody, the Federalists rapidly changed opinions and looked nervously at the Jeffersonians, who felt that no revolution could be carried out without a little bloodshed.

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• The radical Jacobins began their reign of terror, executing the enemies of the Republic (including King Louis XVI)

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America becomes divided• Democratic Republicans (Jefferson and Madison)

wanted to honor the Franco-American alliance • Federalists wanted to support Great Britain (whom

the Jacobins had declared war upon)• President Washington knew that war could mean

disaster – weak national military– shaky emerging economy– politically disunited

• He officially declared America to be neutral in the brewing war between France and England

Citizen Genet

• Citizen Edmond Genêt, arrived in the US in 1793 as the French ambassador intended to take advantage of the Franco-American alliance

• His warm reception led him to believe that Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation didn’t truly reflect the feelings of Americans

• Without authorization, he encouraged privateering against British ships and started to recruit for a military to invade Spanish controlled areas and British Canada

• He wanted the US government to suspend its neutrality and was refused, so he took matters into his own hands

• He threatened to appeal (over the head of Washington) to the sovereign voters; he was asked to resign

• Actually, America’s neutrality helped France. If the US had joined the conflict as a French ally, Britain would have blockaded America’s east coast, preventing American food and supplies from getting to the French West Indies

Britain Didn’t Play Fair• Ignoring America’s neutrality, British

commanders of the Royal Navy seized about 300 American merchant ships and impressed sailors—violate Freedom of the Seas

• Jeffersonians cried for war with Britain, or at least an embargo, but Washington refused, knowing that such drastic action would destroy the Hamilton financial system.

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Moving West and British Inspired Indian Attacks

• Britain still had several forts in the NW Territory (they had not evacuated them 10 years after the Treaty of Paris 1783)

• British soldiers encourage natives to attack American settlers by providing them with weapons

• Britain was hoping to continue its involvement in the fur trade and hoped supporting the indians would prevent American expansion

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Native Resistance

• 1790 & 1791 Miami Confederacy led by Little Turtle defeat Federal troops

• Battle of Fallen Timbers– Natives are defeated (no help from their

British friends) and sign the Treaty of Greenville

– Accepted payment for land that was much less than its true value (set that trend)

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– The natives were under the false assumption that the American government would recognize their sovereignty

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Jay’s Treaty• In a last-ditch attempt to

avert war, Washington sent John Jay to England

• Alexander Hamilton undermined the negotiations, because he wanted to avoid war, secretly gave England the details of America’s bargaining strategy.

1. Britain would repay the money lost because of recent merchant ship seizures

2. It said nothing about future seizures, impressments, and Indians arms supplying.

3. America would have to pay off its pre-Revolutionary War debts to Britain.

Result: the Dem-Rep’s from the South were INCENSED, as the southern farmers would have to pay while the northern merchants would be paid.

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Negotiations with Spain

• US wanted to secure lands west of the Appalachians and shipping rights on the Mississippi River

• October 1795 Pinckney’s Treaty– Spain gave up claims to land east of the

Mississippi River (except for Florida) – Recognized the 31st parallel as the Southern

boundary of the US– Allowed US to use the Mississippi River and

the port at New Orleans

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Jefferson Has Had Enough

• Federalists called Jefferson a radical because he supported France

• The on going feud with Hamilton didn’t help matters

• Jefferson resigned from Washington’s cabinet in 1793

Washington retires• As the first president,

Washington only served 2 terms in office (setting that precedent)

• In his farewell address, he cautioned the US not to get involved in alliances with foreign nations and foreign disputes

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• He also warned the nation that political parties could threaten national unity

“It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against the another; foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption…”

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Election of 1796

• Federalists nominate John Adams for President

• Hamilton’s financial plan made him unpopular

• Democratic-Republicans nominate Thomas Jefferson

• Adams got 71 electoral votes and Jefferson received 68 votes

• According to the Constitution, the runner up automatically becomes VP

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• The USA had a Federalist President and a Democratic-Republican Vice President

• The election also reinforced sectionalism because the North had voted for Adams and the South had voted for Jefferson

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President Adams’ Foreign Relations Headaches

• France saw Jay’s Treaty between American and Britain as a violation of the 1778 Franco-American alliance

• France started seizing American ships headed for England (restricted freedom of the seas)

• Adams sent 3 American delegates to France to meet with the French Foreign Minister, Talleyrand

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The XYZ Affair• The French government did not send

Talleyrand, instead they sent 3 low level governmental officials (Adams called them “X, Y, and Z”)

• They demand a $250,000 bribe to be able to see Talleyrand

• Even though bribes were routine in diplomacy, the demand for that much money wasn’t worth it when there was no guarantee of an agreement.

• Irate Americans called for war with France, but Adams, knowing just as Washington did that war could spell disaster, remained neutral.

• Talleyrand, knowing that war with the U.S. would add another enemy to France, declared that if another envoy was sent to France, that it would be received with respect.

• In 1800, the three American envoys were met by Napoleon, who was eager to work with the U.S.

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Anti-French Feelings

• Americans started to turn against France

• “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute”

• 1798 Congress created a Department of the Navy

• An army of 50,000 troops was also led by Washington (brought out of retirement)

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War??

War was never officially declared, but for the next 2 years there was a naval war between France and the US

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Federalists’ Fear Turned into a Witchhunt

• Federalists see 2 groups as potential enemies because they support the French– 1. Immigrants – 2. Democratic-Rep

• 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by Congress

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The Alien Act

• The residency requirement to become a US citizen was increased from 5 years to 14 years

• This law violated the traditional American policy of open-door hospitality and speedy assimilation

• The president could jail or deport “undesirables”

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The Sedition Act

• Anyone who contradicts govt policies or falsely defamed its officials, including the president, could be fined or jailed

• This law targeted many Democratic-Republican editors, publishers, and politicians were jailed

• While obviously unconstitutional, this act was passed by the Federalist majority in Congress and upheld in the court because of the majority of Federalists there too.

• It was conveniently written to expire in 1801 to prevent use of it against them **Why is the date important???**

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Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions• Jefferson feared that the Federalists, having

wiped out freedom of speech and of the press, might wipe out more

• Thomas Jefferson wrote the Kentucky Resolution– States had the right to declare an act of

Congress, that it deemed unconstitutional, null and void (nullification)

• James Madison drafted the Virginia Resolution: the federal government had abused its power

• Jefferson and Madison stressed the compact theory:

• The sovereign states had created the national government (giving it power and authority)

• Therefore it was the states who would be the final judge in whether the federal government had broken the compact by overstepping the powers the states had given to it

• Since the government had abused its power, it was the rights of the states to nullify federal laws thought to be wrong

• On the other hand…• Federalists argue that is was the people, not

the states who created the federal government • Only the Supreme Court could determine the

fairness/constitutionality of federal laws passed by Congress

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The Arguments

• Compact Theory• Supported by

Democratic-Republicans• States created the federal

government and gave it power

• States would be the final judge in determining if the federal government abused its power

• Nullification

• The Other Side…• Supported by the Federalists• The people, NOT the states,

gave the federal government its power

• The Supreme Court would be the final judge in determining if a law was constitutional and if the government abused its power

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A New Can of Worms is Opened

• The issue now became the balance between the federal government’s power and the states governments’ power

• Could states really refuse to follow a federal law passed by Congress?

• State’s Rights vs. Federal Rights