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Proclamation of Neutrality
The first United States president, George Washington, firmly believed that the country should stay out of any close relations with other countries. For this reason, he issued the Proclamation of Neutrality which stated that the United States would remain neutral in the conflict between Britain and France. -
XYZ Affair
Tensions were high between the United States and Europe during this time period. John Adams, who was president at this time, sent two diplomatic officials to meet the French Prime Minister. Upon their arrival, three french officials were sent to meet them. These three are simply known as X, Y, and Z. The three tried to force a bribe out of the Americans which angered them and only escalated the issue. -
Convention of 1800
The XYZ Affair resulted in a small-scale conflict between France and the United States. This is known today as the Quasi War. John Adams still wished to keep France as allies, so he called for the Convention of 1800. At this convention, French and American officials met to discuss a way to settle the conflict peacefully. The convention was successful and resulted in a continued alliance between France and the U.S. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon of France. As one of the founding fathers, he was suspicious of himself because he was unsure whether the president had the authority to buy land on the country's behalf. The price of the purchase was about fifteen million dollars. -
Embargo Act
Although the United States had declared neutrality, there were still problems with trade ships bound for England or France being attacked. Thomas Jefferson helped get the Embargo Act passed as a way to avoid encounters and keep neutrality. Unfortunately, this cut off two of America's biggest trade partners. The result was some economic troubles as the United States' exports drastically fell. -
War of 1812
The tensions between Britain and the United States only continued growing. Eventually, the British navy began a practice of abducting American sailors and forcing them to serve the British. This act is known as impressment. The impressment was the last straw for the American Government. The War of 1812 was declared and lasted until 1814. The war would come to be known as the Second War for Independence and represents a major turning point in the development of the United States. -
Treaty of Ghent
The treaty that ended the War of 1812. After three years of war, the British people had lost interest in such a minor conflict. Additionally, the twenty year long war with France was finally drawing to a close with Britain as the victors. British and American officials met in Belgium to discuss a treaty. The treaty effectively did nothing by returning all country boundaries to their pre-war locations. -
Monroe Doctrine
A policy established by President James Monroe. It had become clear that America was becoming a world power despite its youth. Monroe figured that with their new power, they had the authority to rules for the eastern countries to follow. The doctrine stated that any outside government interfering in the business of an established western government would be seen as an act of aggression against the United States.
