Evolution of the Department

• 1775 Committee of Secret Correspondence
  
• 1781 Department of Foreign Affairs (Jay 1784-90)
  
• 1789 Department of State (Jefferson 3/22/1790)
  

Jefferson's republican values

• independence, virtue, liberty, mission
  

Minister of the Legation in Paris 1785-89

• "I succeed him. Nobody could replace him." - after Ben Franklin
• greatest achievement - consular treaty with France
• Maria Cosway, 27, wife of artist Richard Cosway
• bust by Houdon 1789 - patriot party
• US should emph diplomacy, not military - play game of balance of power - US should stay out of corrupt Europe - follow neutrality - but should trade, help patriots in France

First Secretary of State 1790-1793

• keeper of Great Seal, records, seaman registry
  
• census, patents, mint
  
• opposed Hamilton's financial plan, Wm Duer
  
• Hamilton secret talks with George Beckwith for trade treaty
• argued West Indies more important NW Territory
• Gallatin's Pittsburgh Resolutions 8/21/1792
• that PA not have to pay tax; Federal force could not be used

Northwest Territory = war

• 1784 Ordinance proposed by Jefferson
• 1785 survey, 1787 Northwest Ordinance
  
• Ft. Washington by Society of Cincinnati
  
• 1789 Fort Harmar Treaties - by purchase
  
• opposed by Brant's NW Confederacy
  
• Little Turtle defeats Harmar, St. Clair
  
• bloodiest battle in early America Nov. 4, 1791, at Fort Recovery
  
• 1792 Militia Act - Anthony Wayne
  
• U.S. 1792 rejected Hammond's Indian buffer plan
  
• British plan for war; Ft. Miamis reopened 2/1794
• Fallen Timbers, Greenville, Fort Wayne

Southwest Territory = diplomacy

• Daniel Boone, James Wilkinson in Kentucky
  
• James Robertson at Nashville 1780
  
• Spanish Conspiracy - river closed at Natchez 1784
  
• Spain's 1784 Pensacola Treaty with 4 Indian nations
• Spain sought buffer vs. Georgia's 1785 Indian Treaty
• Wm Panton Co. granted trade rights with SW Indians
• Alexander McGillivray was partner in Panton Co.
• Jay-Gardoqui talks 1784-6; 7-5 vote 8/29/1786 failed
• Spain seized boats at Natchez 1787
• G.R. Clark 1787 raid on Spainish store at Vincennes
  
• Congress passed NW Ordinance 7/13/1787
• Constitution required 2/3 vote on treaties
• P. Henry's wild talk; Wilkinson offered KY to Spain
• Spain 11/20/1788 lowered duty on Miss. From 25% to 15%
• and offered trade rights if became Spanish citizen
• Congress 1790 created Southwest Territory
• Gov. William Blount 1790 - also land speculator
• McGillivray signed Creek Treaty in NY 1790
• this ended Pensacola Treaty; he became agent for U.S.
• Spain seized Vickburg and built Fort Nogales 1791
• Spain feared Indians, Yazoo speculators from GA
• VT in 1791; KY in 1792; TE in 1796; OH in 1803
• Spain signed 1793 Treaty at Nogales with 4 nations
• Spain built new outpost of Confederacion
• on Tombigbee R. north of 31 line
• SW in flames 1793-94; Spain unwilling to negotiate
• T. Pinckney appointed envoy to Spain

French Revolution

• Bastille stormed July 14, 1789
  
• Prussia, Austria threaten France - Declaration of Pillnitz 1791
  
• Jefferson=neutrality; Hamilton pro-Brit.
  
• 3 ministers sent to Europe: Morris to France and Short to the Hague

Thomas Pinckney's London Mission (Jack Cross book)

• trade was key to Federalist foreign policy
• 90% imports from, 75% exports to Brit
  
• arrived London Aug. 1792 - was isolated
  
• appoint consuls, buy copper for U.S. mint
  

War of 1st Coalition

• Girondists seek war 1792 - rise of Jacobins
  
• execution of Louis XVI Jan. 21, 1793 and Reign of Terror
• France declared war on Brit., Holland, Spain Feb. 1
  
• Brit Navy increased by 45,000
  

Impressment - complex issue

• wet year of 1792 - demand for wheat rose
  
• U.S. sailors attracted by higher Brit wages, kept dual papers
  
• Brit sailors sought relief from brutal conditions on Brit ships
  
• "indefeasible allegiance" - once and Englishman, always an Englishman
  
• day-to-day negotiation of small compromises
  
• American cases to be tried in vice-admiralty courts

Orders in Council

1. all grain cargoes for France to be seized - June 8, 1793
   
   • American ship Brothers seized
2. all trade with French ports in West Indies seized - Nov. 6, 1793
   
3. some food (corn) exempt and ships seized would be speedily tried in vice-admiralty courts with fair compensation - a major victory for Pinckney - Jan 8, 1794
   

• but Congress orders embargo on shipping with Brit in March 1794
  
• John Jay appointed Apr. 19 as "envoy extraordinary" to Britain - sails for london May 12, 1794
  

Citizen Genet

• Jefferson persuaded Washington to admit new French minister 1793
  
• Genet sought privateers, private aid, payment of U.S. debt to France
  
• Neutrality Proclamation Apr. 23, but Genet persisted
  
• Jefferson helps Genet plot "spontaneous irruption" of Geroge Rogers Clark's militia against Spanish in southwest.
  
• Jefferson resigns when Genet ordered recalled
  

Jay's Treaty

• most-favored-nation agreement, but most issues unresolved
  
• most important results: friendship with England, stay out of European war, Pinckney's Treaty with Spain, growing domestic party division of Federalists and Republicans
  

Resources

• Adams Chronicles
• French Revolution index from Alan Liu
• Archiving Early America includes documents such as the Paris Treaty of 1783 and Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 and Whiskey Rebellion 1794 proclamation and Jay's Treaty of 1795 and the Treaty of Greenville of 1795 and Washington's Farewell Address of 1796
• Mt. Holyoke pre-1898 Documents
• Earth and Moon Viewer has custom request settings
• Map of Territorial Growth 1775 from UT