Chapter 9�The New Republic Begins�1789 – 1800

Section 2

A Policy of Neutrality

Essential Questions

• How did Americans react to the French Revolution?
• What foreign policy did the United States adopt when war broke out in Europe?
• How did Washington’s Farewell Address influence American foreign policy?

Summary

• Americans were sharply divided in their reaction to the French Revolution.
• Washington responded to war between Britain and France by declaring that the United States would remain neutral.

Introduction

Introduction

• July 14, 1789 – The French Revolution started
• An angry mob in Paris stormed the Bastille, a symbol of the oppression / tyranny of the monarchy

French Revolution – Bastille

Introduction

• The French people were fighting for liberty and equality from an unjust monarchy / aristocracy just as the Americans had earlier.

French Revolution

Introduction

• Causes of the French Revolution
• High national debt
• Unjust / inequitable tax system
• Country almost bankrupt
• Fighting foreign wars
• High unemployment
• High inflation – the people could not afford bread
• Privileged upper class / conspicuous consumption

Introduction

• Except for high inflation, all of these conditions exist today in the United States
• Could we have a revolution in this country like the French Revolution?
• Was the last election a type of revolution with elected members of Congress being defeated and members of the Tea Party being elected?

Revolution in France

Americans support the revolution

Violence divides American opinion

Revolution in France

• 1. How was the French Revolution the SAME as the American Revolution?
• Fighting for liberty and equality
• Fighting against an unjust monarchy / nobility

Revolution in France

Revolution in France

The fat and wealthy noble class being carried on the back of the poor class

Revolution in France

• 2. How did the French Revolution DIFFER from the American Revolution?
• It became violent
• Mob rule
• Revenge
• Innocent people killed / tortured
• Property looted / stolen

Revolution in France

Revolution in France

• 3. Why did most American’s at first support the French Revolution?
• 1. Americans knew what it was like to struggle for liberty.
• 2. France had helped the Americans during the Revolutionary War
• 3. The Frenchman, Lafayette had helped Americans fight British troops.

Revolution in France

• 4. The French and American revolutions were similar EXCEPT that
• The French Revolution turned into a lawless riot
• Reign of Terror
• ​

Revolution in France

• 5. What divided American opinion in supporting the French Revolution?
• The violence of the French Revolution

Violence of the French Revolution

Revolution in France

• 6 a. Which members of Washington’s Cabinet supported the French Revolution?

Revolution in France

• Thomas Jefferson
• Supported the French Revolution
• Condemned some of the violence
• The French people had the right to use violence to overthrow the tyrannical monarchy.

Revolution in France

• 6. b. Which American leaders DID NOT support the French Revolution?

Revolution in France

• Hamilton and Adams did NOT support the French Revolution

Alexander Hamilton

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John Adams

Revolution in France

• 7. “Supporting France is a bad idea. England is our natural ally.”
• This statement is most similar to the ideas of
• Alexander Hamilton
• Hamilton looked to England as the ideal for Americans to follow
• Thomas Jefferson took the opposite point of view.

Remaining Neutral

Remaining Neutral

• The French Revolution shocked the Kings and nobles of Europe
• They feared the spread of revolutionary ideas to their own countries
• Many countries sent armies to France to fight against the revolutionaries
• Europe was at war off and on for the next 20 years.

Remaining Neutral

• 8. __________ __________ is the actions and stand that a nation takes in relation to other nations.
• Foreign Policy

Remaining Neutral

• To avoid being pulled into the wars between France and Great Britain, President George Washington tried to avoid taking sides.
• He tried to remain neutral.

Remaining Neutral

• 9. Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation kept the United States out of war with ….
• Europe in general
• Great Britain specifically

Remaining Neutral

• 10. What was Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation?
• The United States would not support / help either side:
• Great Britain
• France
• Americans were not to help either side in any way.

Remaining Neutral

• Divisions in Washington’s Cabinet
• Jefferson
• The US had made a treaty to allow French ships to use American ports. We should honor that treaty and help France
• Hamilton
• The treaty was with the old / now executed king. It was no longer valid. We did not have to help France

Remaining Neutral

• Washington’s call for neutrality was seen as a victory for Hamilton
• Jefferson resigned from the cabinet because of differences with Hamilton
• This eventually led to a greater and greater split between Jefferson and Hamilton
• This split eventually led to the forming of two political parties

Remaining Neutral

• 11. What were problems with the Neutrality Proclamation?
• 1. American merchants were making a lot of money trading with both France and England. They wanted to continue to trade with both sides.
• 2. France and Great Britain ignored the US’s neutrality
• Both England and France seized American ships

Remaining Neutral

• 12. Why did President Washington want to remain neutral in the war between France and Britain?
• He knew that the US was too weak to fight either side.
• If we helped France, Great Britain would go to war with us
• If we helped Great Britain, France would go to war with us
• If we helped both sides, both sides would go to war with us

Remaining Neutral

• In spite of this, many Americans wanted to go to war with Great Britain

An Unpopular Treaty

An Unpopular Treaty

• 13. Why did Americans want to go to war with Great Britain?
• A sense of nationalism – pride in our country
• Great Britain seized many more American ships than France did
• 1793 Great Britain seized over 250 ships.
• Great Britain still treated us like we were still a colony.
• They dis’d us.

An Unpopular Treaty

• 14. Why did Washington NOT want to go to war with Great Britain?
• We were too weak
• We could not stand up to the British army or navy.

An Unpopular Treaty

• To work things out with Great Britain, President Washington sent the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay, to England for talks

An Unpopular Treaty

• Jay worked out a treaty called Jay’s Treaty.
• He could not negotiate a very good treaty
• We were weak.
• We had nothing that Great Britain wanted.
• England knew it could do whatever it wanted and we could not stop them.

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An Unpopular Treaty

An Unpopular Treaty

• 15. What were the main provisions of Jay’s Treaty?
• 1. Great Britain would pay for ships seized by the British
• 2. Americans would pay debts to British merchants owed them from the Revolutionary War
• 3. British would give up the forts in the Ohio Valley
• 4. The British would still seize American ships that were helping France and look for run away British sailors.

An Unpopular Treaty

• 16. Why were Americans unhappy with Jay’s Treaty?
• It did nothing to stop British ships from stopping American ships anytime they wanted to and look for supplies that would help France.
• It did nothing to stop the British from looking for run away British sailors.
• American was getting a bad deal. We were giving up more than the British.

An Unpopular Treaty

Washington Retires

Washington Retires

• In 1796, Washington published his Farewell Address.
• It was published in newspapers
• He announced that he would not run for a third term.

Washington Retires

Washington Retires

• He went home to Mount Vernon
• He died there in 1799.

Washington Retires

Washington Retires

Washington Retires

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

Washington Retires

• 17. “Permanent, habitual hatred against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded. In place of them, just and friendly feelings towards all should be cultivated”

Washington Retires

• In these lines from his Farewell Address, Washington advises Americans to
• Avoided getting involved with European affairs
• Be neutral with other countries. Don’t take sides.

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Washington Retires

18. What was Washington’s FAREWELL ADDRESS (it was not really an address, but it was published in the newspapers)

1. He announced his retirement from office after two terms.

2. Urged Americans to stay out of European affairs.

The End