Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• Relations with
England = getting
worse
o
o
England wouldn't leave
NW Territories (Treaty of
Paris)
England also grabbed
Americans off American
ships to serve in navy
against France!
(impressment)
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• America passed antiBritish navigation laws
= harder to trade
• It was clear this would
greatly damage the
U.S. economy!
• Could we fight the
British?? NO!!
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• John Adams
• First V.P. and second
President
• XYZ Affair
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• France, upset with
the treaty America
and Britain worked
out, wanted war with
America
• Adams sent a
negotiator to France
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• The French wanted a
bribe.
• When word got back
to the American
public, it became
known as the XYZ
affair
• (three Frenchmen
involved in the bribe
scheme)
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• Undeclared war
broke out between
American and French
ships
• By 1799, the French
sent word that they
would negotiate a
new peace
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• Only served one term
largely because he
kept America out of a
larger war with
France
• This action divided
the Federalist party,
of which he was a
member
Foreign Policy of Washington and Adams
• The actions of
Washington and
Adams kept America
out of war when we
needed it most!