George Washington's Foreign Policy

923 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Foreign and domestic policy george washington

George Washington never wanted to be president. After many years of being a general in the war, all he wanted was to go home to his family and spend the rest of his life in peace. But the government had other plans for Washington. He never really ended up running for president, it was a unanimous vote from the electoral committee. When he was elected, this country was brand new, and there was lots of work to be done, lots of wrinkles in the system to be ironed out. The main problems he had to figure out where how to pay off the war debt, infighting within the cabinet, and how to stay consistent with the policy of neutrality. The first and debatably the biggest problem he had to fix was how to pay off the debt from the war. Alexander Hamilton …show more content…

This was mostly a big deal during the French Revolution. The commoners took over France, beheading the king and queen publicly, and waging war on Britain. French demanded help from America because, during the American revolution, the French helped up, but then the British wouldn’t trade with us. If we stood with the British, the French would be mad, and would be standing with the very thing we fought against not so long ago; freedom. It was a lose-lose situation. This is when the policy of neutrality started. Instead of picking sides, America remained neutral, and no matter how hard it was, we didn’t pick sides. In order to finalize this policy, George Washington released this statement. “Whereas it appears that a state of war exists between Great Britain… and France.. the United States [will] require that it would … pursue a conduct friendly and impartial towards both countries” (Document D) This states that America will remain neutral in the war. Another outside source gives us more information, “The Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 was authorized by George Washington on April 22, 1793, and stated that the US would take no part in a war between two or more other powers, specifically France and Great Britain.”(Neutrality Policy) This tells us that, once again, during late April in 1793, Washington addressed America and said that they would remain neutral in the war.
Overall, I think we can

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Alexander Hamilton's First Report On Public Credit

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his First Report on Public Credit, Alexander Hamilton discusses the current financial situation of the United States and, as a response, proposes a plan to take care of the debt accrued from the Revolutionary War. Hamilton 's address tells the story of a significantly indebted newfound nation in desperate need of financial reorganization. He first discusses the strain that could be placed on public credit from public engagements and that the expensive engagement of war against Britain was the price to pay for liberty. Subsequently, he delivers his plan, which focused on the full payment of foreign loans, redemption of bonds (which would create new debt, but nonetheless establish good federal credit), and the assumption of individual state

    Read More

  • John Adams Foreign Policy

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Revolutionary period, John Adams was a leader who was one of the founding fathers and advocate for the independence of America. He was a member of the Continental Congress. During the Revolutionary war, Adams served in France and Holland as a diplomatic role. After George Washington was elected as the President, he was put under Washington as the first Vice President. After Washington’s presidency, Adams, who was apart of the Federalists, got elected as President on March 4th, 1797 with Thomas Jefferson, his friend and rival as Vice President. John Adams was well known for his aloofness, and demonstrated passionate patriotism for America, he was also an independent man who did not care for the opinion of the public; except his wife

    Read More

  • Hamilton And The Economy

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamilton also showed his influence in the development of the country’s taxation policies. He set up funding programs to pay off the now large national debt.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • The Five Strategic Goals Of Woodrow Wilson's Foreign Policy

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States and held the office from 1913-1921. He became known as “the Crusader” due to his foreign policy theory that America should be a beacon of liberty and aggressively pursue the spread of democracy throughout the world. His policy would enable America to prosper economically and develop an international security community through the promotion of democracy in other nations. While former Secretary of State Kissinger writes in his book Diplomacy that 20th century American foreign policy has been driven by Wilsonian idealism, an analysis of 21st century US foreign policy reveals that, in fact, US foreign policy has been influenced by ideals that can be characterized as Hamiltonian, Jeffersonian, and Jacksonian as well.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Martha Washington

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    Washington was elected President in 1789. The original plan was to retire from public service, but he was the best fit for leading the new nation. Martha reacted how anyone would, at first a little skeptical, but in the end understanding and supportive. She wrote to her nephew John Dandridge saying, “When, or whether he will ever come home again God only knows. I think it was much too late for him to go into public life again, but it was not to be avoided…Our family will be deranged, as I must soon follow him.” (Martha Washington)

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Founding Brothers

    1408 Words  | 3 Pages

    George Washington had character and was extraordinary. Ellis described Washington as an "incalculable asset." His leadership skills were unique. His actions were performed for his country, not for political gain. He was also directly associated with every major event of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress, and the building of the new republic. Even the country 's new capitol had his name. These were some of the things that made him so special. Washington was not prideful and not easily led. He offered suggestions and warnings to his replacements and told the government to expand in a way that would keep the country standing; he was well aware of how dainty the country was. The United States would never have survived without him.

    Read More

  • FDR and the Depression

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Perhaps Roosevelt’s greatest blunders occurred in his attempts to fix the economy. The Nation claimed that “some [of his programs] assisted and some retarded the recovery of industrial activity.” They went so far as to say that “six billion dollars was added to the national debt.” All of this is true. Roosevelt’s deficit spending, provoked by the English economist John Maynard Keynes, did add to the already high national debt while his programs did not solve the record-high unemployment rate. This “enormous outpouring of federal money for human relief and immense sums for public-works projects [that] started to flow to all points of the compass” and nearly doubled the nation’s debt also brought about many changes that were, in a large sense, revolutionary (Document C).

    Read More

  • US Foreign Policy During the 20th Century

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the course of the history of the United States, specific foreign policies have affected the methods in which the U.S. involves itself around the globe. Specifically, certain policies have affected U.S. involvement in Latin America.

    Read More

  • The Issues Of George Washington

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    With a new nation facing overwhelming difficulties, George Washington faced the challenges of being the first president to run, shape, and build the foundations of the newly formed United States. Washington came into office with the country in heavy debt, and an empty treasury. With the issues President George Washington was facing, he proved to be a paragon leader.

    Read More

  • George Washington Was The Best President Essay

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    The electoral college unanimously elected Washington as the first president of the united states. Washington was offered a big salary as the president but he declined it because he was about the good of the people. Washington did not join a party even though he was republican so they came up with two factions the first party system and the federalist party. Washington retired presidency in march 1797 and returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief. he focused on his plantations and other business interests. Washington became a senior officer of the united states army after becoming broke from his farm and served in it until his death. Washington was checking his plantations on horseback during rain, hail, and snow and went to bed in his wet clothes the next morning when he woke up he had a severe sore throat and became increasingly hoarse as the day went on. Washington went out the next day and worked in the rain and hair then in the middle of the night woke up and could barley breath he called three doctors in as they were trying to figure out what was wrong with him and save him he died in his bed. George Washington was a great president and even after he retired he still served our country in the military until his

    Read More

  • Biography of Alexander Hamilton

    585 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamilton was President Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury in the Cabinet in 1789-1795. The first task that Hamilton took care of for President Washington, was the problem of public credit. Since the government had taken on so much debt during the Revolution they deeded a plan to pay it all off. When proposing this idea the vow to pay them back was not taken very seriously. Toward the end of the 1780s, the state IOU's, or money borrowed to finance the Revolution, were seen as nearly valueless. Hamilton then issued a bold proposal that the federal government should pay off all the state’s debts at face value. To raise money for this, Hamilton offered to issue new securities bonds. The people who bought these would pay a huge profit.

    Read More

  • Woodrow Wilson's Foreign Policy

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the United States, in office from 1913 to 1921. After being victorious in World War I, Wilson outlined his vision of world peace through his “Fourteen Points” speech delivered to Congress in January 1918. It called for a "new diplomacy". No more secret treaties, like the ones that had pulled the world into war. Also all territories occupied during the war must be evacuated. Wilson wanted to stop imperialism in many of the countries and declaring them to immediate independence. He also proposed a general disarmament after the war. Other points included freedom of the seas at all times and free trade all over the world. Wilson stressed that the seas were neutral passageways for international business such as trade and that it is meant to be peaceful and scarce from threats. But Wilson's most important proposal, the fourteenth point, called for a league of nations open to all democratic states. This new world body would be in charge of disarmament and the dismantling of colonial possessions. Most impo...

    Read More

  • Influence Of George Washington

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Washington has influenced the United States in many positive ways as the first president of the United States. Washington was molded into a great leader at a young age through his life experiences. He helped unite the people and helped organize the country through his great leadership skills. Washington served in the American Revolution as a leader for the continental army before he became president. George was a war hero and a role model for the United States.

    Read More

  • George Washington Failure

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Washington was a hard working individual who was a prominent leader in the French and Indian war, the American Revolution, and the formation of the United States of America. George Washington was a raised by his mother, who parented Washington to be independent and to finish what you started. Furthermore, Washington was very self-determined, with a personality that did not give up and was in the best interest of the people. Besides that, George Washington was a great military leader as well as motivational speaker; he is by far the greatest president of the United States. Moreover, George Washington was the greatest leader of America who never quit, he did not exceed in life until he had met failure, and this helped him to establish

    Read More

  • Washington: Infamy Or Neutrality In Washington?

    209 Words  | 1 Pages

    Washington seemed to be always urging our country towards neutrality; this can be seen on more than one occasion. In 1789, the French Revolution sent shock waves across the Atlantic. Both sides the French as well as the English urged us to join their side; presenting us with reasons of why. The nation was split many wanted to join French; explaining they helped us in our time of need so we should repay them, also many agreed with the idea of democracy. However, many also sided with England explaining they were our mother country at one point in time; we also depended on England economically. The decision was based on what Washington felt being he was President; Washington decided neutrality. This wasn’t the first time that Washington chose

    Read More

More about George Washington's Foreign Policy

Open Document