Chief Justice John Jay(Former Confederation Foreign Minister)

v Favored allowing British troop movements

v If the US blocked Britain, the result might be war

v Or, the disgrace and humiliation of permitting them to proceed with impunity

Secretary of State Jeffersonv Jefferson saw the same

options as Jay

v But he proposed a “middle course”: they should evasively “avoid giving any answer”

v Thus not embroiling the infant US in another war

Vice President Adamsv Adams urged

opposition to Britain regardless of the consequences

v Although he also hoped that a refusal would lead to negotiations rather than war

Secretary of War Henry Knoxv Agreed with Adams: Britain

should be refused

v But, the US should also worry about France: US still bound by 1778 alliance

v Should France ally with Spain (very likely) it would expect US support

Secretary of War Henry Knoxv Should the US comply with

the 1778 French treaty or proclaim neutrality?

v US might find itself at war with Britain, regardless of its own interests

v French alliance threatened to entangle the US in wars

Alexander Hamiltonv Hamilton took a more

pragmatic approach than the others

v US had no hope of enforcing a denial of the British

v US would thus derive a greater benefit from simply giving Britain permission

A Negotiated Solution, 1790

v Many historians have overlooked this controversy

v Prospect of war a reminder of US weakness and peril

v Reinforced Washington’s belief in neutrality

Washington and Nootka Sound

v Washington consulted a large group of advisors

v Never called cabinet together

v In fact, not until winter 1792–93 did he even refer to a “cabinet” or meet with them on a regular basis

French Revolution, 1789-1799v Friendly relations, 1778-

v Revolution’s violent turn, 1792-

v Polarization in US: Jeffersonians identified with Revolution

v Federalists feared chaos would jeopardize the US

Second Term Crises, 1793-1797v Revolution intensifies, as do

tensions with Britain, France

v US political polarization

v Anglo-French wars made it seem unsafe to retire

v Even Jefferson urged him

v Another term, reluctantly

Foreign Affairs: Francev Washington issued a

Proclamation of Neutrality, April 1793

v Washington cautiously received the new French envoy, Edmond Charles Genet (“Citizen Genet”) May 1793

Jay’s Treaty, 1794v Calls for war with Britain

widespread by 1794

v Washington sent Jay to London

v France interpreted the treaty as a US-British alliance

v France retaliated by seizing US ships, personnel

Controversy over Jay’s Treaty

v Failed to deal with the impressment problem and American neutrality

v Accepted British supremacy at sea

v Did put off direct conflict between America and its stronger rival

Washington’s Farewell Address:Dangers of Entangling Alliances

(Does Washington receive sufficient credit? Acts of prevention? Do no harm?

A blundering president might have proved fatal)

John Adams, 1797-1801

v Struggled in office

v Grappled with French and British

v Franco-American “Quasi War” 1797-1800

v Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798

Problems with France dominated the Adams administration

v France angry about US refusal to pay Revolutionary debts

v France dismayed by Anglo-US Jay Treaty

v French expected bribes; outrage when US went public

Coup d'état of 18 BrumaireNovember 9, 1799

The US-French Convention of 1800: Ends 1798–1800 Quasi-War,

terminates 1778 Treaty of Alliance

The French Revolutionv US caught between

Britain & France

v World at war (once again)

v Britain & France disrespected US rights with impunity

Jefferson and Foreign Affairsv Frustrations of a pacifist

v Barbary Wars, 1801-05

v Louisiana Purchase, 1803

v Perils of a neutral nation

v Failed embargo, 1807-09

Louisiana Purchase, 1803An “Empire for Liberty”?

US obtained 800,000 square miles between the Mississippi & the Rockies. Purchased from France for $15 million. Increases US territory by 140 percent.

Louisiana Purchase: all or portions of 15 states (TX, LA, AR, OK, MO, KS, CO, NE,

IA, MN, WY, MT, SD, ND, NM)

Emperor Napoleon, 1806

Jefferson’s Disillusionmentv “It seemed as if everything

in that country for the last twelve or fifteen years had been a DREAM,” said a disillusioned Jefferson

v Now, he wished only for a stable constitutional monarchy in France, with a return of the Bourbon dynasty!

USS Chesapeake vs. HMS LeopardJune 22, 1807

3 Americans killed, 18 wounded; 4 impressed.Of the 4 impressed, only 1 British born!2 African American, 1 a former slave!

Jefferson, Britain & France

v British “Orders in Council” forbids trade with France, Nov. 1807

v Napoleon forbids trade with Britain, Dec. 17, 1807

v Jefferson signs Embargo Act, Dec. 1807, retaliation against Britain & France (2nd

Embargo Act, Jan. 1808)

Criticizing Jefferson’s Embargo:“Intercourse or Impartial Dealings”

Jefferson robbed by George III & Napoleon

Consequences of the Embargo

v Jefferson’s Embargo Acts severely damaged economy

v US exports collapsed from $108 million to $22 million!

v Economic depression settled over much of the nation

Congress Repeals Embargo, March 1809

Impressment of 8,000 Americans! Feb. 1811: Madison halts trade with Britain

unless Orders in Council are repealed. Britain vows to continue to seize US ships.

Declaration of Warv June 1: Message to Congress,

justifying war with Britain

v June 4: House votes 79-49 for war

v June 16: To avoid war with US, Britain revokes Orders in Council

v News reaches US too late!

v June 17: Senate votes 19-13 for declaration of war (close votes!)

Napoleon Crosses the NiemanJune 24, 1812