France, Undeclared Naval War with
France, Undeclared Naval War with (1798–1800).In the 1778 treaty that created the Franco‐American Alliance, the two countries agreed to mutual defense and accepted the doctrine that neutral ships carried neutral cargoes. But under President George Washington, the United States retained its neutrality when England and Revolutionary France went to war in 1793; and in 1794, John Jay negotiated a treaty conceding both favored status in trade and a broad definition of contraband to England—in effect, agreeing to limit trade with France. French privateers responded by seizing nearly $200,000 worth of American shipping during 1796–97.
President John Adams wanted to send either Vice President Thomas Jefferson or Congressman James Madison to France. Both were Republicans, more...
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