Mr. Pieper US History I

Goal: Understand impact of French Revolution on the U.S.

French Revolution begins Common people

(3rd Estate) in Paris storm bastille (prison)

Begins the “Reign of Terror”

In all approx. 40,000 royalists and opponents of revolution killed

Royalty

Clergy

“3rd Estate”

Mixed Response in the U.S. Pros:“All the old spirit of 1776 is

rekindling.”-Thomas Jefferson to James

Monroe

Cons: Found it shocking that the French

relied on large numbers of public beheadings

Britain goes to war with France Fearful of similar revolutions spreading,

Britain, Spain, and other Euro. Countries declare war on France in1792

Effect U.S. feels pressured to choose a side.

What are the costs for U.S. of joining the war? Lose trade with Britain or France $$ Cost of joining war Create an enemy

U.S. Trade takes a hit France seizes US merchant ships

headed for Britain and Britain seizes merchant ships headed for France

Why would they do this? impressment- kidnapping American

sailors to force them to fight for Britain10,000 sailors impressed

Citizen Genet French Diplomat Edmond Genet visits

U.S. in 1793 Tours nation trying to gain support for

FranceAngers Washington and wears out his

welcome

Washington declares neutrality Washington issues Proclamation of

neutrality: forbids U.S. military support of any nation at war

British in U.S. Territory British had never left many of their forts

after Revolution. Violated Treaty of Paris 1783

U.S. Reaction Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay

to Britain to negotiate peace

Jay’s TreatyBritish agree to abandon forts in NW

TerritoryUS agree to pay debts to British

Result:○ Dem-Republicans call Jay a traitor○ US can safely trade to Mississippi○ Causes Britain’s opponents to become

worried

Spain aligns with France Spain decides to join

fight against Britain

Seeing Jay’s Treaty- Spain is afraid that US might attack them in N. America

Thomas Pinckney of S.C. meets with Spanish diplomats

Pinckney’s Treaty Sets up a boundary

between U.S. and Spanish Florida

Guarantees US access to Mississippi at New Orleans

How was the French Revolution a cause for each of the following?

British policy of impressment

Pinckney’s Treaty

Citizen Genet’s visit to the U.S.

Washington’s Farewell Washington, who was re-elected easily

in 1792, decided not to run for a 3rd termSets a precedent for future presidents

Urged U.S. to maintain○ neutrality abroad ○ unity at home.

From Washington’s Farewell “The great rule of conduct for us is…to

steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” –G.W.

“They serve to organize faction; to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community” –G.W.

EU: The relationship between the government and the people is an ongoing struggle.

The XYZ Affair: France gets suspicious In response to Jay’s Treaty & neutrality

France seizes U.S. merchant shipsPresident John Adams sends diplomats to

France to negotiate peace

France’s foreign minister (Charles Maurice de Tallyrand-Perigord)Sends three diplomats to meet with U.S.Demands

○ apology from U.S. for anti-French remarks○ Multi-million dollar loan to France○ $250,000 bribe

U.S. Response Published the story in U.S. substituting

XYZ for the names “Millions for defense, not one cent for

tribute” U.S. Naval Department is founded Built warships Fortified U.S. ports

Alien and Sedition Acts Series of laws intended to protect the nation

and weaken the Republicans Alien Acts

Authorized the president to imprison or expel “all such aliens [foreigners] as he shall judge dangerous to the peace and safety of the U.S.”

Sedition ActsAnyone who wrote, said or printed anything “false,

scandalous, and malicious” about the government “with intent to defame” could be fined or jailed.

Response to the Alien & Sedition Acts Republican newspaper editors and politicians were

arrested for sedition 25 indicted 10 convicted

Many saw the acts as attempts to limit rights of individuals

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions Jefferson and Madison argued that the acts went beyond

powers granted to the federal government and interfered with the powers of the state governments

Some argued secession (breaking away from the United States)

Asked Congress to repeal the acts- they did not renew them the next year

Rise of Political Parties By mid-1790s, heated debates over

neutrality or taking sides divided politicians

Sectionalism- loyalty to a particular part of the country, helped cause the rise of 1st political partiesDemocratic-RepublicansFederalists