1.  In 1793 France made war on Great Britain.  The United States was bound by the treaty of alliance of 1778 to “guarantee” the French possessions in America.

2.  This treaty, and the coming of the French minister, forced Washington to declare the United States neutral in the war.

3.  His proclamation of neutrality was resented by the Republicans, who now became sympathizers with France.  The Federalists, who were strongest in the commercial states, became the anti-French or English party.

4.  When France declared war on England, she opened her ports in the West Indies to the merchant trade of the United States.

5.  England held that we should not have a trade with France when at war, for we had not had it when France was at peace.  This was an application of the “Rule of 1756.”  In 1793-1794, therefore, England began to seize our ships coming from the French ports.

6.  This so excited the Republicans that they attempted to force the country into war with England.

7.  To prevent war, Washington sent Jay to London, where he made our first commercial treaty with Great Britain.

8.  This offended the French Directory, who refused to receive our new minister and sent him out of France.

9.  War with France now seemed likely.  But Adams, in the interest of peace, sent three commissioners to Paris to make a new treaty.  They were met with demands for tribute and came home.

10.  The greatest excitement now prevailed in the country.  The Navy Department was created, a navy was built by the people, and a provisional army raised.  The old French treaties were suspended, and a naval war began.

11.  The popular anger against the Republicans (the French party) gave the Federalists control of Congress, whereupon they passed the Alien and Sedition laws.

12.  Against these Virginia and Kentucky protested in a set of resolutions.

13.  In the election of 1800 the Federalists were defeated, and the Republicans secured control of the Federal government.

14.  In 1800 Spain ceded Louisiana to France, whereupon the Spanish official at New Orleans shut the Mississippi to American commerce.

15.  The whole West cried out against this and demanded war.  But Jefferson offered to buy West Florida from France.  Napoleon thereupon offered to sell all Louisiana, and we bought it (1803).

16.  The new territory as yet had no boundaries; but it was explored in the northwest by Lewis and Clark, and in the southwest by Pike.

17.  The discovery of the Columbia River in 1792, the exploration of the country by Lewis and Clark, and the founding of Astoria established our claim to the Oregon country.

FRANCE A REPUBLIC, 1792.
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DECLARES WAR ON ENGLAND (1793).
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