STATION 1
THE QUESTION OF
FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT
Just ten weeks after George Washington’s
first inauguration in 1789, a revolution broke out in France. The revolutionaries were inspired by
some of the ideas expressed in the American Declaration of Independence. They stated their goals in the ringing
cry, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”
Unfortunately, the French Revolution soon became a
bloodbath. The leaders of the new
French Republic beheaded thousands of people in the upper classes and nobility
with the guillotine- including King Louis XVI and Queen Mary Antoinette. Over 40 thousand Frenchmen lost their
lives at the guillotine during these years. Abbé
Sièyes, when asked what his great accomplishment was during the months of
terror, replied simply, "I survived".
It was impossible for the neighboring countries to
remain neutral. Many, particularly
the richer classes, were filled with horror. They feared that the revolution might spread to their own
countries. By 1793, in response to
this widely expressed concern, the governments of Great Britain and other
European countries went to war with the new French government.
What policy toward this situation should the
United States have adopted?
According to a treaty which had been made with the French monarchy in
1778, the U.S. was obliged to defend the French West Indies which in 1791 had
been diminished when the black people of one colony, Haiti, most of them
slaves, rose up in revolt against the French and succeeded in winning their
independence. But if the U.S.
aided France, it would soon find itself at war with Great Britain. The new nation was not prepared for
armed conflict on land or on sea.
STATION 2
WASHINGTON’S FOREIGN POLICY- A PROCLAMATION OF
NEUTRALITY (1793)
As a response to France declaring war on England
on February 1, 1793, Washington met with his cabinet members to discuss where
America would stand in the conflict:
“Whereas
it appears that a state of war exists between Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Great
Britain and the United Netherlands on the one part and France on the other, the
duty and interest of the U.S. require that was should remain friendly to both
sides.
Therefore,
I warn all citizens of the U.S. carefully to avoid all actions which may seem
to take sides among warring parties.
And I
do hereby make known that anyone who helps the war effort of any of the parties
or who provides them with forbidden merchandise will not be protected by the
U.S. from punishment.”
STATION 3
Quite possibly...
THE MOST IMPORTANT "GOODBYE" IN AMERICAN
HISTORY
George
Washington's Farewell Address was an
address by George Washington to the people of the United States at the end of
his second (and final) term as President of the United States. It appeared in
many American newspapers on September 17, 1796. Technically
speaking, it was not an address, but an open letter to the public published in
the form of a speech. Washington's fellow Americans gave it the title of
"Farewell Address" to recognize it as the President's valedictory to
public service for the new Republic.
There
are two themes from the speech which are particularly important. The first describes
what Washington sees as rising sectionalism and political factioning in the
country. He urges Americans to unite for the good of the whole country.
"In
contemplating the causes, which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of
serious concern, that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing
parties by Geographical discriminations, Northern and Southern, Atlantic and
Western"
"[Political
parties] serve always to distract the public councils, and weaken the public
administration. They agitate the community with ill-founded jealousies and
false alarms; kindle the animosity of one part against another, foment
occasionally riot and insurrection."
The second theme consists of harsh words
warning to avoid entanglements with foreign powers, particularly in Europe.
"The
great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is, in extending
our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection
as possible."
The
Address quickly became a basic political document for the new nation. It was
printed in children's primers, engraved on watches, woven into tapestries and
read annually before Congress until the mid-1800s. With the widespread
notoriety and usage, the speech became a benchmark of sorts, a philosophy on which
to judge the two party political structure and certain foreign affairs.
STATION 4
Jay's Treaty
The Jay Treaty of 1795,
named after U.S. Supreme Court chief justice John Jay, was a
treaty between the United States and Great Britain signed on November 19, 1794 that
attempted to clear up some of the lingering problems of American separation
from Great Britain following the American Revolutionary
War.
George
Washington, on his second term, decided to concentrate on foreign policy
issues. The most pressing issues were with the British, and to deal with them
Washington sent the Supreme Court Chief Justice to London to talk
with the British leadership. The Americans had a number of issues they wanted
dealt with:
▪ American
merchants wanted compensation for goods and ships confiscated during the War of Independence.
▪ Southerners
wanted compensation for the slaves the British had taken from them during the
revolution.
Jay's
negotiations with the British were not particularly successful. The British
agreed to vacate the western forts, and to compensate American ship owners. In
return, the British got most-favored-nation trading status from the Americans.
The British refused to give any more concessions, however, unless the United
States provided compensation for the vast amounts of Loyalist property seized after the revolution.
Many
Americans were very displeased with this settlement, and there were public protests
against Jay and his treaty. One popular cry went:
Damn John
Jay! Damn everyone that won't damn John Jay! Damn every one that won't put
lights in his window and sit up all night damning John Jay!
Alexander Hamilton, however, convinced Washington it was the best treaty that could
be expected, and Washington agreed to sign it. This action caused Thomas Jefferson, who was inclined to favor France over
Britain in international diplomacy, to start forming an active and open
opposition group to Hamilton and his Anglophile associates.
Jefferson's group began to call themselves "Republicans," later known
as the Democratic-Republican
Party.
Name: ___________________________________ Period: ___________
How Did Washington Define the Role of America in
the world? (Foreign Policy)
STATION 1
and 2: THE QUESTION OF FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT
1. How did the American Revolution inspire the French Revolution
of 1789?
2.
What prompted other countries to go to war
with France?
3.
For what reasons was the new nation
cautious about aiding the French during this time? Why might Americans have felt obligated to ally with the
French? (Hint- think about when the two countries have been allied before)
4.
How did President Washington handle the war
in Europe during his presidency?
STATION 3: WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL ADDRESS
1. According to the document, upon leaving
office, which precedent did George Washington set for future presidents?
2. In your own words, why did Washington warn
against forming political parties?
3. How did Washington feel about the United
States being involved in the affairs of other nations?
4. Why do you think Washington allowed for
“commercial” but not “political” connections?
5. How does this document answer the
question: How did George
Washington define the role of the “American President”?
STATION 4: JAY’S TREATY
1. In general, what issues facing America was
Jay’s Treaty designed to address?
2.
Why was it named “Jay’s Treaty”?
3.
Why were Americans particularly unhappy
with this treaty?
4.
How did Jay’s Treaty have an influence
on the development of political parties in America?
