Chief Justice John Jay (Former Confederation Foreign Minister) v - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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 Jefferson

v Jefferson saw the same

• ptions 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 Adams

v Adams urged

• pposition 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 Knox

v 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 Knox

v Should the US comply with

the 1778 French treaty or proclaim neutrality?

v US might find itself at war

with Britain, regardless of its

• wn interests

v French alliance threatened to

entangle the US in wars

Alexander Hamilton

v Hamilton took a more

pragmatic approach than the

• thers

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

• verlooked this controversy

v Prospect of war a reminder

• f 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, 1789-1799

v 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, 1793-1797

v 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: France

v 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, 1794

v 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;

• utrage when US went

public

Coup d'état of 18 Brumaire November 9, 1799

The US-French Convention of 1800: Ends 1798–1800 Quasi-War, terminates 1778 Treaty of Alliance

The French Revolution

v US caught between

Britain & France

v World at war (once

again)

v Britain & France

disrespected US rights with impunity

Jefferson and Foreign Affairs

v 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, 1803 An “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 Disillusionment

v “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 Leopard June 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

• ver 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 War

v 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 Nieman June 24, 1812