Isolationism vs. Involvement
• Isolationism is a foreign policy adopted by
a nation in which the country refuses to
enter into any alliances, foreign trade,
economic commitments, or international
agreements, so they can focus all of its
resources into advancement within its own
country while remaining at peace with
foreign countries by avoiding conflict of
foreign agreements. Who’s policy was this?
Involvement
• Involved nations have deep
relations, affairs and alliance
with the outside world, both
political and economic.
President Adam’s Dilemma: Protecting U.S. Ships
• Isolation sounded good, but it is often
to very difficult to stay out of other
countries’ conflicts.
• The second president, John Adams,
knew this very well.
• Adams tried to follow George
Washington’s policy of neutrality.
• This became very difficult with France.
The Jay Treaty
• Great Britain refused to leave the
Ohio Valley and the French leaders
hoped it would lead to war between
Great Britain and the United States.
• Instead Washington ordered John Jay,
chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
to go to London and settle things
with the British.
• In 1794 the Jay Treaty was signed and
the British pulled their troops from
the Ohio Valley.
• France (still at war with Britain)
viewed the Jay Treaty as a violation of
its own treaty with the United States
made in 1778.
In 1796 the French navy began attacking U.S. merchant
ships bound for Great Britain. Over the next year,
French warships seized 316 American ships. Adams
saw it as quite difficult to stay neutral now!
The XYZ Affair
• President Adams sent three representatives to France
to ask the French to end the attacks. The prime
minister, Talleyrand, refused to speak to them.
• Instead they were met by secret agents, later only
identified as X, Y, and Z.
• The agents told the Americans that no peace talks
would be held unless Talleyrand received $240,000 (4
million dollars today) as a tribute (money in exchange
for protection).
• The American representatives refused.
“Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!”
• The XYZ Affair outraged Americans when the
story reached home.
• President Adams requested and Congress voted
to recruit an army of 100,000 men, and to build
12 new ships for the nations tiny navy.
• Congress authorized U.S. warships and privately
owned ships to launch a “half war” on the seas.
• During this undeclared war, Americans ships
captured more than 80 armed French vessels
• President Adams, never a well liked
leader, found himself very popular.
• The Federalist Party gained support in
all parts of the country.
• Was the popular thing, waging an
undeclared war on France, also the
best thing for the country?
• What were the possible outcomes?
Decisions…
• Adams knew that no matter how good war
would be for the Federalist Party (because it was
the popular thing at the time based on
circumstances), it would not be good for the
country.
• In 1799, he sent a group of men to France to
work for peace.
• Federalist leaders were furious! They wanted
Adams to change his mind, but he would not
budge.
• When the peace mission reached France, a French
military leader named Napoleon Bonaparte was ruling.
• Napoleon wanted peace with Great Britain and the
United States.
• He ordered the navy stop seizing the American ships
and release American soldiers.
• A treaty between France and the United States was
signed in 1800, Napoleon agreed to end France’s 1778
alliance with the United States.
• In exchange, the Americans could not ask the French
to pay for their seized ships.
• The US government would have to pay American ship
owners for their lost property.
• Choosing the olive branch cost Adams
political popularity.
• His pursuit of peace with France created
strong disagreements within the Federalist
party.
• When he ran for reelection in 1800, Adams
lost to Jefferson and the Republicans took
over.
• Over the next few years, much of the
Federalist support faded away.