-America and the French Revolution
-Political Societies
-The Whiskey Rebellion
-Pinckney's treaty with Spain
-Jay's treaty with England

[SLIDE 1]

No sooner had Washington become president in 1789 than the French Revolution broke out. In the beginning, many Americans were pleased to think their republican ideals had inspired a similar revolution in France. After French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille in 1789 and released its political prisoners, Lafayette sent Washington the key to the Bastille. But within a few years, that sentiment would sour. The extremist Jacobin party began a Reign of Terror. In 1793, King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette, were executed, and then moderate reformists and the nobility alike were sent in a steady stream to the guillotine. The Jacobins wanted to impose their rigid political ideas throughout Europe, which they did by making war on other European countries. American views on the French Revolution were diverse, as were American views about American obligations to France. Many felt that America shouldn't get involved in a European war. Defending France from attack in the West Indies could mean another war with England. Some, like Hamilton, wanted to improve relations with England, while others would have been glad for another shot at their old enemies. Was America really to turn its back on the French allies who had helped America in its time of need?

[SLIDE 2]

An ambassador from France arrived, presumably to talk the government into honoring its treaty commitment to France. The ambassador, Citizen Edmond Genêt, was not what one would have expected. Instead of following protocol and presenting his credentials to the American government, he avoided the government and instead campaigned for popular American support for the war. What is more, he tried outrageously to provoke incidents that would force America's hand. Even after being warned, he continued to act in defiance of the American government's wishes, using American privateers to attack English ships and preparing to use American volunteers for action against Spanish Florida. Washington did not believe America should get dragged into European wars, and he decided to declare American neutrality. He then found himself being criticized in the Republican press for not honoring American commitments to France. Angered by the criticism and the Frenchman's uncontrolled agitation, Washington asked the French government to recall Genêt to France. Meanwhile, however, the sentiment of the French government had turned against Genêt as the extremist Jacobins gained control of the French government. Genêt ended up asking for American asylum, knowing he would probably be executed if he returned to France. Genêt had by now irritated the full spectrum of the American government, first Hamilton but now even Hamilton's rival, Jefferson. Nevertheless, they supported his request for asylum. Genêt lived the rest of his life in America.

[SLIDE 3]

While today a Democratic-Republican Society might sound like a non sequitur, historians use this term to mean local political groups that began springing up during Washington's presidency. Their core belief was that government officials were not leaders, they were only agents of the people; therefore government must do as the people wish. These groups campaigned in elections and were vocal in their opinions. Criticism of George Washington's administration was prominent. By then, Jefferson had resigned from Washington's government, and many of the membership of these political groups became active in Jefferson's new Democratic-Republican party. Most of the groups had disbanded by 1796.

[SLIDE 4]

In 1791, a new excise tax was imposed on all distilled spirits. It was intended to generate revenue to pay for the war debt. Since whiskey was America's most popular distilled drink at the time, it became known as the whiskey tax. Farmers on the western frontier typically used their surplus grain mixtures to make whiskey, and the whiskey was a common vehicle of exchange. These farmers resisted the tax from the beginning. In 1794, when a marshal comes to take legal action, the farmers react violently, attacking and burning the home of the excise inspector. Washington sends negotiators but also assembles a huge militia with men sent by several states and rides at its head himself. He is determined not to have a repeat of Shays' Rebellion, nor to allow chaos spawned by the French Revolutionary spirit to invade the domestic tranquility. By the time the militia of 13,000 men arrives, the resisters have realized they can't win and have dispersed. Washington publicly blames the Democratic-Republican societies, and Congress condemns them as well. By 1796, the societies have mostly dissolved.

The outcome of the event strengthened the hand of the federal government, which showed itself willing and able to enforce its laws. The whiskey tax itself remained difficult to collect and was repealed when Jefferson was president in the early 1800s.

[SLIDE 5]

Another reason for quiet in the frontier regions was that conditions there simply improved. With less to complain about, frontier farmers had less reason to organize politically. In 1785, Thomas Pinckney was able to negotiate a treaty establishing borders between U.S. and Spanish territories and included free U.S. navigation on the Mississippi. The treaty greatly improved the security of farmers on the frontier.

[SLIDE 6]

Washington was elected to a second term. During that time, foreign diplomacy continued to be challenging. England believed that America was helping France, despite its claims to neutrality, and began to seize American ships trading with the French islands of the Caribbean. Angry Republicans then wanted to curb trade with Britain. Mobs began to attack British sailors and anyone expressing pro-British sentiment. Chief Justice John Jay was sent by Washington to negotiate a lessening of tensions.

[SLIDE 7]

Jay was able to achieve some small concessions. Britain would finally abandon its forts in the Northwest. He received few trade concessions, however, and he agreed that America would pay its prewar debts to British merchants. On the other hand, as an opponent of slavery, he did not bother much with seeking reimbursement for American slaveholders who had lost slaves during the war because of Britain. He  did fail to achieve some key objectives, however. Federalists applauded Jay for preserving the peace, but Republicans viewed the treaty as a sell-out of France. Kentuckians threatened rebellion, feeling he had sold out western America as well. Jay's mission had been to preserve American neutrality, and he had accomplished it.

[SLIDE 8]

In 1784, General Mad Anthony Wayne defeated a confederation of native tribes in the last battle of a war for control of the Northwest Territory. He then rampaged through the nearby native villages. A year later the confederation of tribes concluded a treaty with Wayne that meant ceding much of modern-day Ohio.

[SLIDE 9]

In 1796, Washington returned to private life, having decided not to serve a third term. He left behind quite a legacy. He had led the country to victory in war, had fought for a strong central government, and affirmed civil liberties such as religious freedom. It was now fifteen years since the Revolution had concluded, and the country was on a firm footing. His secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, had launched America on the path to a market economy and future success.