Mrs. Ruland's Advanced Placement United States History Class
Foreign Policy Under the Articles of Confederation
Based on information in A Diplomatic History of the American People by Bailey
- After the revolutionary war, France and Spain (allies but also monarchies
and colonial powers) wanted US democracy to fail.
- US democracy might tempt their own citizens to revolt
- They might be able to "pick up the pieces"
- England
- After the war, US expected to "return to normalcy"
- 1785 John Adams is first ambassador - received by the king - there 3 years, but "frozen out" diplomatically
- Britist didn't send ambassador to US
- No trade agreement
- US citizens bought goods due to credit and habit
- 1789 value for England is greater than before war
- Americans back to smuggling - West Indies
- Treaty of Paris 1783 created conflict - England's gripes
- US citizens were to pay debt to English merchants - Virginia enacted law to prevent collection of debts
- Loyalists were no longer to be persecuted - discriminatory state laws and physical abuse still occurred
- American gripes
- British carried away 3000 African slaves - owners wanted payment (indemnification)
- England held military and trading posts through Great Lakes area
- helped Canadians with fur trade - allied with Native Americans
- Would hold posts until Americans paid their debts
- John Jay, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, admitted that Britain had a point - made settlement difficult
- Concern over Vermont - needed outlet to sea (St. Lawrence River) Ethan Allen showed interest in Canada
- Spanish scheming
- Hostile to US - wanted area between Appalachia and Mississippi River
- Southern US boundary dispute
- Treaty of Paris - 31st parallel as stated by Britain
- Boundary in colonial period had been 100 miles south
- Spain claimed further land to the north because of successful campaign against the British
- Spain also allied with Native Americans against the Americans
- Mississippi necessary for western settlements for sale of farm products - rivers were best roads!
- 1784 Spain closed Mississippi to Americans - British agents offered possibility of British Protectorate.
- The Jay-Gardoqui deal
- During revolutionary war, US allowed to trade with Spain - US needed specie (gold and silver)
- Negotiations in New York - Gardoqui
- Lavish entertainment
- Loaned members of congress $5,000
- Washington was given a Spanish jackass to use to breed mules for Mount Vernon. Named him Royal Gift
- Jay's goal was to get trade treaty and use of Mississippi
- Gardoqui insisted on no Mississippi
- Jay relented and took deal to Continental Congress (Atlantic trade but no Mississippi use for 25-30 years)
- Given permission by vote 7 to 5 but 9 would be necessary for agreement to go into effect and that was impossible so deal was no good
- The Revolt of the West - "Heard about Jay?"
- Patrick henry (commoner viewpoint and rebel) would rather part with the Confederation than with use of Mississippi
- Deal never made by result of proposal:
- More distrust of Easterners by Westerners
- 2/3 vote necessary for approval of treaties
- 1788 Spain allowed use of Mississippi, but had to pay
- The French Ally Cools Off
- French wanted to keep us weak
- Allowed us to trade with some West Indies islands
- French Consuls to try French Citizens in cases involving Frenchmen (not US courts) - we did this to China later - superior vs. inferior
- Thomas Jefferson followed Ben Franklin as ambassador
- France wanted to be paid for revolutionary war loan - spoke of taking part of Rhode Island as payment
- Barbary Blackmail
- Sold captured people on ships as slaves
- Paying protection money considered easy way out
- US too poor and too weak (couldn't trade there off forged British papers)
- Kept weak nations out of Med; favored Great Britain
Last updated June 14, 2004
© Marcella Ruland 1998-2011, All rights reserved
