French Revolution in American History

1
French Revolution in American History

• Mr. Pieper US History I

2
Goal Understand impact of French Revolution on
the U.S.
3
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
4
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

5
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.

6
What are the costs for U.S. of joining the war?

• Lose trade with Britain or France
• Cost of joining war
• Create an enemy

7
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 Britain
• 10,000 sailors impressed

8
Citizen Genet

• French Diplomat Edmond Genet visits U.S. in 1793
• Tours nation trying to gain support for France
• Angers Washington and wears out his welcome

9
Washington declares neutrality

• Washington issues Proclamation of neutrality
  forbids U.S. military support of any nation at
  war

10
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

11
Jays Treaty

• British agree to abandon forts in NW Territory
• US agree to pay debts to British
• Result
• Dem-Republicans call Jay a traitor
• US can safely trade to Mississippi
• Causes Britains opponents to become worried

12
Spain aligns with France

• Spain decides to join fight against Britain
• Seeing Jays Treaty- Spain is afraid that US
  might attack them in N. America
• Thomas Pinckney of S.C. meets with Spanish
  diplomats

13
Pinckneys Treaty

• Sets up a boundary between U.S. and Spanish
  Florida
• Guarantees US access to Mississippi at New Orleans

14
How was the French Revolution a cause for each of
the following?
British policy of impressment
Pinckneys Treaty
Citizen Genets visit to the U.S.
15
Washingtons Farewell

• Washington, who was re-elected easily in 1792,
  decided not to run for a 3rd term
• Sets a precedent for future presidents
• Urged U.S. to maintain
• neutrality abroad
• unity at home.

16
From Washingtons Farewell

• The great rule of conduct for us isto 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.

17

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

18
The XYZ Affair France gets suspicious

• In response to Jays Treaty neutrality
• France seizes U.S. merchant ships
• President John Adams sends diplomats to France to
  negotiate peace
• Frances 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

19
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

20
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 Acts
• Anyone who wrote, said or printed anything
  false, scandalous, and malicious about the
  government with intent to defame could be fined
  or jailed.

21
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

22
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
  parties
• Democratic-Republicans
• Federalists