What was Americas position on the war between revolutionary France and Great Britain?
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The Quasi-War, which at the time was also known as "The Undeclared War with France," the "Pirate Wars," and the "Half War," was an undeclared naval war between the United States and France. The conflict lasted between 1798 and 1800, and was a formative moment for the United States. Although it occurred during John Adams' presidency, the Quasi War involved George Washington in two significant ways. Show
The Quasi War was the first time that American neutrality, which had been championed by Washington as president, found itself under attack. In addition, once the conflict began John Adams sought George Washington's military expertise, reinstating him as Commander-in-Chief. During Washington's presidency, Great Britain and revolutionary France entered into a war with each other. Seeking American support, France sent an emissary, Citizen Genet, to the United States. Genet was undermining a neutrality agreement that Washington had signed earlier that year, and he attempted to circumvent the American government by landing in South Carolina rather than the then-capitol at Philadelphia. Instead of meeting immediately with the president, Genet recruited privateers, exploited political divisions between supporters and detractors of revolutionary France, and slowly made his way to the capitol. Once in Philadelphia, Genet was denounced by Washington. Ultimately, the United States refused support to France and signed the controversial Jay Treaty with England, which settled residual issues from the Revolutionary War and declared friendly diplomatic and trade relations with Great Britain. The Jay Treaty angered the French, who responded by harassing American vessels at sea. The new president, John Adams, sent ambassadors to France where they encountered an unstable French government that sent its own officials (referred to as "X" "Y" and "Z" in the published papers) to meet the Americans. The French officials, on behalf of foreign minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord sought a bribe, a loan, and an apology from the Americans. Talleyrand hoped to reinforce his own political power while also gaining American support for France.  The Quasi War pushed the United States into a serious debate about the nature and extent of neutrality, the limits of presidential power, and the role of the military in America. In 1800, Napoleon gained control of France and ushered in a more hospitable diplomatic atmosphere between the two countries. The British and the Americans, while not explicitly working together, had reduced the actions of the French Navy. With the Convention of 1800, the United States and France officially ended hostilities. Historian Ron Chernow discusses George Washington and his role in the Quasi War. Katie Uva Bibliography: Estes, Todd. The Jay Treaty Debate, Public Opinion, and the Evolution of Early American Political Culture. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2006. Lengel, Edward G. A Companion to George Washington. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. The Revolution Around the World series explores the impact of the American Revolution on the globe and the influence of people from other countries on the Revolutionary era. What was happening around the world in 1776? When and why did different countries get involved in the Revolutionary War? What was the impact of the broader American Revolution on those countries? Take a closer look as we examine France's involvement in the American Revolution. What was happening in France in 1776?In 1776, France was one of the great powers of Europe. Though still reeling from the loss of its American colonies at the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763, the country remained a global power with a strong army and navy. Like Great Britain, France had a young king. In 1776, Louis XVI was just 22 years old and had been king for only two years. His reign, which would end during the French Revolution, was only just beginning. He and members of his court looked eagerly towards America for the flourishing of new Enlightenment ideas and for the potential harm it might do to their old nemesis, the British. When did France become involved in the American Revolution?From the outset of the Revolutionary War, French intellectuals followed events in America. Some of the earliest printings of the new American state constitutions (some of which are displayed in the Museum) were in French, a direct attempt to curry favor with European audiences. Benjamin Franklin arrived in Paris in December 1776 as the first official representative of the United States in France. Franklin and others worked to secure secret shipments of French weapons, equipment, and uniforms. In 1778, the relationship between France and the United States was formalized with the Treaty of Alliance. A 19th-century copy of French artist Louis Charles-Auguste Couder’s painting Siege of Yorktown (1781), which features George Washington and French general Comte de Rochambeau. Museum of the American Revolution Which side did France choose, and why?France chose to support the American Revolutionaries for two reasons. First, in global politics, France had been engaged in periodic wars with Great Britain. However, being a colonial power, they did not want to appear to be endorsing rebellious colonies. Two years after the American Revolutionaries declared the independence of the United States, France formalized its alliance with the new country. Second, many people in France, especially the nobility, were deeply engaged in the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment and were inspired by new ideas about human society, rationalism, science, and progress. They viewed the American states, with their republican forms of government, as the embodiment of some of these new ideas. Who were the key French players in this story?The list of French people involved in the Revolutionary War is impressive. Independent Frenchmen such as the Marquis de Lafayette traveled to America to join the war effort. Later in the Revolutionary War, French soldiers and sailors were instrumental in the victory of the United States. Officers like the Comte de Rochambeau and the Comte de Grasse led the French land and sea forces that made possible Washington’s victory at Yorktown in 1781. Frenchman Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who would go on to design Washington, DC, joined the Revolutionary forces in 1777. On a late summer day in 1782, he sat on a hillside in Verplanck’s Point, New York, and sketched the only known image of Washington’s tent in the field. Pierre Charles L’Enfant painted this detail of George Washington’s marquee tent in his larger panoramic painting of the Continental Army’s encampment at Verplanck’s Point, New York, in 1782. Museum of the American Revolution, Gift of the Landenberger Family Foundation What was the impact of France's involvement?France helped make the victory of the United States possible. Continental soldiers used French weapons and wore French-made uniforms and, by the end of the war, they fought alongside French soldiers. The French army and navy battled the British all over the world, from Asia and Africa to the Caribbean, which stretched the capabilities of the British war effort in America. A number of Revolutionary War battles didn’t even include Americans – the last battle of the war occurred when British and French ships clashed off the coast of India in 1783. But the American Revolution continued long after the Revolutionary War was over. Ideas about liberty and equality helped inspire the French Revolution and independence movements in French colonies, such as Haiti, for generations after 1783. Dive Even Deeper
Learn MoreFrench GorgetThis gorget, displaying the royal arms of the Bourbon kings of France, was a vestigial piece of armor worn by a French officer as a sign of rank. See ObjectThe Perils of PeaceThis excerpt from Thomas Fleming describes the political reaction in Britain immediately after the surrender at Yorktown, Virginia Read MoreLafayette Parade BannerThis silk banner was carried through the streets of Philadelphia in celebration of Marquis de Lafayette returning to the scene of his military service. See ObjectWhat was America's position during the war between France and Britain?Great Britain and France fought for European supremacy, and treated weaker powers heavy-handedly. The United States attempted to remain neutral during the Napoleonic period, but eventually became embroiled in the European conflicts, leading to the War of 1812 against Great Britain.
Why did the US get involved in the war between Britain and France?The tensions that caused the War of 1812 arose from the French revolutionary (1792–99) and Napoleonic Wars (1799–1815). During this nearly constant conflict between France and Britain, American interests were injured by each of the two countries' endeavours to block the United States from trading with the other.
What role does America play in leading France towards Revolution?Americans' Victory Encouraged the French
The Americans' victory over the British may have been one of the greatest catalysts for the French Revolution. The French people saw that a revolt could be successful—even against a major military power–and that lasting change was possible.
Why was the US involved in the Revolutionary War?The American Revolution was principally caused by colonial opposition to British attempts to impose greater control over the colonies and to make them repay the crown for its defense of them during the French and Indian War (1754–63).
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