2. Isolationism vs. Involvement Isolationism is a foreign policy adopted by a nation in which the country refuses to enter into any alliances, foreign trade, economic commitments, or international agreements, so they can focus all of its resources into advancement within its own country while remaining at peace with foreign countries by avoiding conflict of foreign agreements. Who’s policy was this?

3. Involvement Involved nations have deep relations, affairs and alliance with the outside world, both political and economic.

4. President Adam’s Dilemma: Protecting U.S. Ships Isolation sounded good, but it is often to very difficult to stay out of other countries’ conflicts. The second president, John Adams, knew this very well. Adams tried to follow George Washington’s policy of neutrality. This became very difficult with France.

5. The Jay Treaty Great Britain refused to leave the Ohio Valley and the French leaders hoped it would lead to war between Great Britain and the United States. Instead Washington ordered John Jay, chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to go to London and settle things with the British. In 1794 the Jay Treaty was signed and the British pulled their troops from the Ohio Valley. France (still at war with Britain) viewed the Jay Treaty as a violation of its own treaty with the United States made in 1778.

6. In 1796 the French navy began attacking U.S. merchant ships bound for Great Britain. Over the next year, French warships seized 316 American ships. Adams saw it as quite difficult to stay neutral now!

7. The XYZ Affair President Adams sent three representatives to France to ask the French to end the attacks. The prime minister, Talleyrand, refused to speak to them. Instead they were met by secret agents, later only identified as X, Y, and Z. The agents told the Americans that no peace talks would be held unless Talleyrand received $240,000 (4 million dollars today) as a tribute (money in exchange for protection). The American representatives refused.

8. “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” The XYZ Affair outraged Americans when the story reached home. President Adams requested and Congress voted to recruit an army of 100,000 men, and to build 12 new ships for the nations tiny navy. Congress authorized U.S. warships and privately owned ships to launch a “half war” on the seas. During this undeclared war, Americans ships captured more than 80 armed French vessels

9. President Adams, never a well liked leader, found himself very popular. The Federalist Party gained support in all parts of the country. Was the popular thing, waging an undeclared war on France, also the best thing for the country? What were the possible outcomes?

10. Decisions… Adams knew that no matter how good war would be for the Federalist Party (because it was the popular thing at the time based on circumstances), it would not be good for the country. In 1799, he sent a group of men to France to work for peace. Federalist leaders were furious! They wanted Adams to change his mind, but he would not budge.

11. When the peace mission reached France, a French military leader named Napoleon Bonaparte was ruling. Napoleon wanted peace with Great Britain and the United States. He ordered the navy stop seizing the American ships and release American soldiers. A treaty between France and the United States was signed in 1800, Napoleon agreed to end France’s 1778 alliance with the United States. In exchange, the Americans could not ask the French to pay for their seized ships. The US government would have to pay American ship owners for their lost property.

12. Choosing the olive branch cost Adams political popularity. His pursuit of peace with France created strong disagreements within the Federalist party. When he ran for reelection in 1800, Adams lost to Jefferson and the Republicans took over. Over the next few years, much of the Federalist support faded away.