Washington faced three major foreign problems during his administration:
1) Continued British challenges (old)
2) Continued Spanish disrespect (old)
3) French Revolution (new)
As the Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson was the most responsible for advising Washington on these problems.

In 1789, the French people overthrew their King and set out to create a democratic government. This was partly inspired by the ideals and success of the American Revolution and the massive amount of French debt left by helping us defeat Great Britain.
Many Americans, including Thomas Jefferson, were very supportive of the Revolution at the beginning.
By 1793, radicals had taken over in France and the revolution had turned very violent.
Many Americans, including Jefferson, were upset and alarmed by these events.

By 1793, the French Revolution spilled over into separate conflicts between France and other European countries, including Great Britain.
France asks for the Americans to honor the Franco-
American Treaty of 1778 which pledged an “indefinite defensive alliance” between both countries.
• Jefferson believes Washington needs to honor the treaty.
• Hamilton warns Washington of the economic effects of fighting Great Britain, our largest trading partner.
On April 22, 1793, Washington announces his
Proclamation of Neutrality. Stating that the US will not help either Great Britain or France.

• France was angry! They saw neutrality as a violation of the 1778 treaty. They began the seizure of American merchants ships and the impressment of American sailors.
• Great Britain saw American attempts to trade with France as helping their enemy, so they also began to seize ships and impress sailors.
• Jefferson saw Hamilton’s interference and
Washington’s actions as a violation of his advice and role as Secretary of State. He resigned his office on Dec. 31, 1793.

The British were still:
-Occupying Western Forts
-Arming Western Indian tribes
-Seizing neutral US ships in the Atlantic Ocean and
Caribbean Sea.
Against the wishes of the still Republican controlled
State Department, Washington sent a Federalist
John Jay to negotiate a peaceful resolution to these problems in 1794. This agreement was called Jay’s
Treaty.

The Spanish were still:
-Occupying disputed land in the South.
-Arming Indian tribes
-Refusing the “right of deposit” in New Orleans to US ships.
Washington sends the ambassador, Thomas
Pinckney (another Federalist), to negotiate a peaceful resolution to these problems in 1795.
This agreement was called Pinckney’s Treaty.