U.S. Foreign Policy

1. U.S. Foreign Policy 1789 - 1900

2. Washington • Conflict between Great Britain & France • Country divided over who to support • GW issued Proclamation of Neutrality (1793) • The Genet Affair • French Diplomat sent to get U.S. support • Ignored warnings to stop organizing Americans against British & Spanish – Was expelled from U.S. • British forts on U.S. soil, Seizure of U.S. ships, & Impressment were key issues • Jay’s Treaty (1794) with GB • GB refuses to stop seizures or impressement but agrees to vacate U.S. soil. • Treaty widely criticized

3. Washington • Pinckney’s Treaty (1795) • Concluded with Spain • U.S. given navigation rights on Mississippi River • Access to port of New Orleans • Also settled border between Georgia & Florida (S) • Washington’s Farewell Address • GW warned future leaders to avoid alliances with foreign nations

4. John Adams • 1797 – XYZ Affair strains relations with FR • FR upset by Jay Treaty – viewed as alliance • Adams sent delegation to FR to settle issues • FR – no negotiations without tribute • Followed by 2 year undeclared war w/ FR

5. Jefferson • Louisiana Purchase from FR (1803) • Miss. River to Rockies • Cheap but raised constitutional issues • Doubled U.S. – eventually 13 states • War with Tripoli (1801-1805) • Due to piracy – U.S. blockade led to victory • Continued interference w/ U.S. shipping • Chesapeake Incident (1807) • Embargo Act (1807) • Non-Intercourse Act (1809) • Both were failures

6. Madison • War of 1812 • War Hawks of South and West (Calhoun & Clay) pushed for war • Hoped to acquire Canada • Angry over British treatment of U.S. • Believed British were inciting Indian attacks • U.S. ill-prepared to fight • Small military, little money, lack of unity • Hartford Convention & Federalists • War ends in a tie • But boosts U.S. pride, prestige, and industry • Treaty of Ghent restored boundaries status ante bellum

7. Monroe • Rush-Bagot Treaty • Neutral Great Lakes • Treaty of 1818 • Fixed border at 49th parallel from Minnesota to Rockies, granted U.S. fishing rights, and opened Oregon to joint-settlement • Sale of FLA to U.S. (1819) • $5 Million but had to give up claim on Texas • Monroe Doctrine (1823) • Warning to Euros to keep out of Western Hem. • No further colonization & no U.S. interference in Euro affairs

8. JQ Adams, Jackson, & Van Buren • Dominated by domestic issues • No major foreign policy issues addressed

9. Tyler • Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) • Settlement of dispute with England over boundary between Maine and Canada • U.S. gains most of disputed territory • Along with fertile Aroostook Valley

10. Polk • Texas annexed and admitted as 25th state • Oregon Country • 1818 agreement called for joint occupation by GB and U.S. • 1844 campaign “Fifty four forty or fight!” • 1846 – Oregon boundary settled at 49th parallel • Oregon Territory eventually divided into Oregon, Washington, Idaho, parts of Montana & Wyoming • Mexican War (1846-48) • Caused by mutual resentment and dispute over southern boundary of Texas

11. Polk • Mexican War cont. • Zach Taylor in Northern Mex. • Stephen Kearny and John Fremont in CA • Winfield Scott in Mexico City • Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848) • Rio Grande River is border of Texas • U.S. gets CA, NM for $15 million • Mexican Cession yields NM, AZ, CA, NV, UT and parts of CO and WY

12. Zachary Taylor • No significant foreign policy issues

13. Millard Fillmore • Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850) • Britain and U.S. agree not to expand in Central America if an isthmian canal is built • Joint operation of a canal

14. Pierce • Minister to Mexico James Gadsden authorized to purchase strip of land along southern border of NM and AZ • Needed land for proposed railroad • Cost $10 million • Completed present boundary between U.S. and Mexico

15. Buchanan • No significant foreign policy issues

16. Lincoln • Trent Affair (1861) • Confederate diplomats seized from British ship by U.S. navy on high seas • Lincoln apologizes and orders release of prisoners • The Alabama Claims • Confederate ship built in England that caused great damage to northern shipping • U.S. sued England for damages & won $15.2 million (1872) • Maximilian Affair • France attacked Mexico and made Archduke Maximilian of Austria the Emperor of Mexico • When Civil War was over, U.S. sent troops to border and forced French to leave

17. Johnson • Purchase of Alaska (1867) from Russia • AKA Seward’s Folly • $7.2 Million • 1/5th the size of the rest of the U.S. • Sold by Czar Alexander to U.S. to avoid British taking it by force • Gold discovered in 1896 • Major oil deposits

18. Grant - Garfield • No significant Foreign Policy measures

19. Arthur • Laws passed to keep out criminals, paupers, and insane and diseased persons (1882) • Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

20. Cleveland (1st term) and B. Harrison • No significant foreign policy measures

21. Cleveland 2nd Term • Cleveland invoked Monroe Doctrine during border dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana in South Am. • Protested British attempt to expand • Issue settled peaceably by board of arbitration • Cleveland recognized the Republic of Hawaii • Taken by American fruit growers • Cleveland refused to agree to annexation

22. McKinley • Increased Imperialism by U.S. • Spanish-American War (1898) • Following “attack” on USS Maine • U.S. acquires Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico • Took over Hawaii and American Samoa • Established an Open Door Policy in China (1899) • Participated in putting down Boxer Rebellion in China