Americas Growing Pains :: essays research papers

the Statess first dickens presidents, George capital letter and John Adams, both resolutelyadhered to the idea that America should strain to stay out of war at either times, and dideverything in their world power to evade declaring and entering into war. Throughout theirreigns, war was ubiquitous in Europe, and legion(predicate) countries (especially Britain and France)made numerous attempts to catch and secure Americas support. Washington andAdams both believed that America should not side with any foreign realm during timesof war making the fundamental purport of Americas first foreign policy the elusion ofwar at all costs. This policy was manifested throughout Washington and Adamsinvolvement in, and reactions to the following affairs the Citizen genet controversy, theJay Treaty, and the XYZ Affair. One of Washingtons initial attempts to pursue this policy was his neutralisation reactionto the Genet Affair. In 1793, George Washington proclaimed neutrality, thus declaringAm erica an uninvolved, nonpartisan country in times of war. Simultaneously, EdmondCharles Genet was sent to the linked States as a special representative from France toimplore support in the French Revolution. Genet had previously resolved that theproclamation of neutrality was a painless little pleasantry designed to throw dust in the eyeball of the British. Commencing in Charleston, South Carolina, Genet traveledthroughout the United States presenting his credentials. In addition to his quest forsupport, he began to license American vessels to choke as privateers against Britishshipping and to grant French military commissions to a number of Americans in order toprepare expeditions against Spanish and British territorial claims in North America. These two actions were in direct defilement of American law. Washington demandedthat he cease his unlawful actions, but Genet keep to commission privateers becausehe enticed the public opinion. This incident is a lucid presentment of W ashingtonsample efforts to bend war. Genet had copiously essayed to obtain American support inthe French Revolution, and in accordance with Americas foreign policy, Washingtonvehemently resisted any involvement in war. In an attempt to deplete the threat ofAmericans supporting the French, he avow that Genet would be expelled. Washingtons reaction to this controversy support his foreign policy by showing that hewas willing to avoid war at all costs, even if alliances were broken and foreign transactionwere damaged. In addition to Washingtons response to the Genet affair, he further strived toavert involvement in war by write the Jay Treaty. This treaty was written to preventwar with Britain, but concurrently it constrained Americas relationship with France bygoing against their alliance.