Compare and contrast US foreign policy from 1914 – 1917 with US foreign policy from 1801 to 1814.
Foreign policy from 1800 – 1814
Highlights:
· Generally isolationist
· Established by first presidency in 1784 Washington’s Farewell Address who warned the nation against “permanent entanglements”
Jeffersonian Foreign Policy
· Carried out neutrality policies of Washington and Adams.
o Reduced size of military,
· Louisana Purchase
o Previously claimed by Spain.
o Napoleon seized it from Spain
· US interest in the Mississippi river
o During Jeffersonian presidency, western frontier extended beyond Ohio and Kentucky into Indian territory.
o Much of economy here depended on transporting goods westward into Mississippi and to New Orleans which led to Pacific.
§ Spain had suddenly revoked the right of deposit granted in Pinckney Treaty of 1795 which no longer allowed American farmers tax-free use of the port..
§ Jefferson feared that as long as foreign power controlled river at New Orleans, US risked entanglement in European affairs.
· Sends ministers to France to offer $10 million for New Orleans.
o Offered up to $10 million, did not directly confront but aimed to buy land from the threat.
o Instructed that if failed, were instructed to begin discussions w/ US British Alliance.
§ Somewhat confrontational move.
o Napoleon eager to have money for war against Britain, offered New Orleans and Louisiana Territory for $15 million.
· Controversies with the purchase.
o Jefferson, most Americans approved of purchase.
o Jefferson committed to strict interpretation of Constitution
§ Had set aside idealism for country’s good.
§ Had removed a foreign presence from nation’s border, guaranteed extension of western frontier to lands beyond Mississippi.
o Lewis and Clark expeditions begun before Congress accepted scientific exploration of Louisiana Purchase.
§ With guidance of Sacajawea, would establish the geographic and scientific knowledge of US while tying territory closer as part of the US.
· SECOND TERM of Jefferson
o Continued to avoid war with foreign powers. Rejected idea of permanent alliances and sought US neutrality despite increasing provocation from France and Britain in Napoleonic wars.
· Barbary Pirates
o Previously President Washington and John Adams agreed to pay tribute to Barbary Pirates for protection in Mediterranean.
o When the Pasha of Tripoli demanded higher tribute, Jefferson decided to send naval vessels to Tripoli
§ Did not achieve a decisive victory, but gained respect and had measure of protection obtained for US vessels in Mediterranean waters.
· Other European nations would continue to pay tribute for long time.
· Challenges to US neutrality through Napoleonic Wars.
o British and France attempted naval blockades of enemy ports
o Regularly seized ships of neutral nations and confiscated cargoes.
§ Impressment of seamen where they forced American sea vessel crew into British navy.
o When British warship Leopard fired on US warship Chesapeake, its crew was impressed into British navy.
§ Jefferson instead resorted to diplomacy and economic pressure to repond to crisis.
· Led to Embargo Act (1807)
o Saw as an alternative to war
o Prohibited any American merchant ships from sailing to any foreign port.
§ US was Britain’s largest trading partner.
o Embargo backfired and brought econ hardship to US.
§ British determined to control seas at all costs and turned to South America instead.
§ Would lead to Hartford Convention where Federalists want to make New England secede from Union.
· Seeing that the Embargo Act had backfired, would repeal act later
MADISON’s PRESIDENCY
· Close follower (Secretary of State for Jefferson) of Jefferson, but would ultimately go to war.
· Non-intercourse Act 1908
o Allowed Americans to trade with all besides Britain and France.
· Economic tensions increased and were ineffective, leading to Macon’s Bill No. 2.
o Provided that US would trade with British and France only if one of them would recognize US rights at sea. Then the US would stop trading with its foe.
o Led to Napoleon’s deception when Napoleon “agreed” to respect US rights at sea. This led to US embargoeing trade with Britain, but the French continued to seize US merchant ships despite this.
· Led to US involvement in the War of 1812.
o Saw that US involvement was because of threat of their freedom of the seas and an increasing British threat from the west.
o British also involved in helping Tecuseh and Prophet in uniting the tribes east of Mississippi River.
· Led to William Henry Harrison defeating them in the Battle of Tippecanoe, -- saw that British was responsible (despite limited aid)
o Pressures from war hawks.
· British delays in US demands over neutral rights as well as political pressures form war-hawk Congress.
o “Imperialist” actions of Madison made War of 1812 “Madison’s War”.
· Treaty of Ghent.
o Mentioned nothing of the grievances that led to war.
o War ended with no gain for either side.
US foreign policy from 1914 – 1917
· Foreign policy characterized by Wilson’s idealism and New Freedom
o Idealistic as he did not want imperialism to settle issues, but would eventually lead America into WWI.
o Recoiled from jingoism, was against big stickism, and against dollar diplomacy of Taft.
· In 1914 withdrew special support from American investors in Latin America and China.
o Americans would back out of Taft-engineered loan to China next day.
· Repealed Panama Canal Tolls Act which had exempted American coastwise shipping from tolls in Panama.
o Withdrew from previous American dominance in Panama.
· Further was anti-imperialist like pacifist Bryan through signing the Jones Act.
o 1916 Granted Philippines a territorial status and promised independence as soon as a “stable gov” could be established.
· Also approached possible conflicts with diplomacy.
o California legislature prohibited Japanese from owning land. When a confrontation appeared imminent, Wilson dispatched William Jennings Bryan to ease tensions and soften its stand.
· But was somewhat imperialist in Haiti.
o When previous president was brutally assassinated, dispatched marines to protect Amer lives and property.
o Borrowed from Roosevelt’s corollary to the Monroe Doctrine and concluded a treaty which provided US supervision of finances and police in Haiti.
· ALSO sent marines to quell riots in Dominican Republic and would remain there for next 8 years.
· Also purchased Virgin Islands to tighten grip of US in Latin America, further making it a Yankee Lake.
· MEXICO prominent example of imperialism.
o With the installation of Victoriano Huerta as president after brutal revolution, Mexicans began to endanger lives and wage workers near the border.
§ Despite public demands for war, Wilson saw that it was “perilous” to determine foreign policy “in terms of foreign interests”
§ Still refused to recognize the government of Huerta (was not straight out imperialist, but still fought for the ideals of democracy)
· Supported Huerta’s rivals Carranza and Villa.
o Was stubbornly determined to eliminate Huerta and asked Congress for force against Mexico. Before that happened, Wilson ordered navy to seiz Vera Cruz which was very imperialist, esp. when nation’s rights weren’t immediately dangered for war.
§ But also accepted conference of ABC powers.
§ Collapse of Huerta without any military intervention.
o After Carranza succeeded as leader, Villa and his gang of bandits ruthlessly attacked American workers in Mexico, attempting to provoke war.
§ Resulted in sending of General Pershing to quell the bandits though would later withdraw troops due to threat of WWI.
· Attempting to remain neutral in WWI. Very much attempted to remain neutral, isolationist as a tradition est. by Washington.
o Wilson resisted the tug to join the Allies or the Central Powers
§ “The United States must be neutral in fact as well as name…we must be impartial in thought as well as action”.
§ For 1916 re-election would have slogan “He Kept us out of war”
o Had the tug of democracy to support.
§ W/ the “Rape of Belgium” against the autocracy of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
§ In response to British blockade, Germany announced submarine war area around Britain and was a threat to US’s freedom of the seas.
· Note was also why we went to war in Barbary Pirates and War of 1812
§ Through diplomatic channel made Breline agree to “try” not to sink neutral shipping though they warned mistakes could occur.
· Only warned that German would have “strict accountability” for any attacks on Americans.
§ Yet U-Boats continued to attack.
§ Sinking of British Lusitania which killed 128 Americans
· Continued to use verbal diplomacy and made some progress until Arabic sinking of Britain’s ship when Berlin agreed to not sink unarmed and unresisting passenger ships without warning.
§ After sinking of French Sussex made Germany agree to Wilson’s Sussex ultimatum agreeing to not sink ships, merchant vessels w/o warning.
· But Wilson accepted the pledge without agreeing to string Germany attached.
· FINAL OUTLINE
· Similarities:
o Faced with world conflicts and attempted to stay out of them. Both attempted to prevent the “permanent entanglements” as addressed by Washington’s Farewell Address. Yet both also eventually went to the greatest conflicts of their time for national interest of freedom of the seas.
§ Jefferson faced the Napoleonic Wars where the Embargo Act and later in Madison’s administration, Non-Intercourse Act which all failed. After diplomatic efforts failed, went into the War of 1812 with a late entrance.
§ Likewise Wilson did much to remain neutral. Attempted numerous pledges with the British and Germans, using diplomatic channels to get the Sussex Pledge (after sinking if Sussex) and before that, used only diplomatic channels to make Germans promise not to have unrestricted warfare with sinking of British Lusitania. Only after Germany begins policy of unrestricted submarine warfare that contributes to US joining immediately, as well as the Zimmerman Telegraph.
· Previously Wilson followed w/ “The United States must be neutral in fact as well as name … we must be impartial in thought as well as action”.
· Slogan for 1916 presidential campaign was “He kept us out of war” which shows his anti-war feelings as well as isolationist feelings of country.
· Guided very much by idealism, advocated a “peace without victory” as well as putting forth his 14 Points which had minimal imperialist motives but appeared to only want to establish democracdy.
§ Both sides largely aimed to remain isolationist in wars, resorting first to diplomatic channels despite repeated failures. However, when the interests of the nation were immediately endangered, both would resort to war.
o Both went against their ideals when the interests of the nation were immediately endangered.
§ Jefferson violated his strict interpretation of the Constitution, and moved to briefly accept a loose interpretation of the Constitution (which would have expanded the president’s powers, in this case, moving towards a more aggressive foreign policy) with the Louisiana Purchase. Acceptance of the land $15 million had no regard to what the Native Americans thought, and led to immediate expeditions such as through Lewis and Clark’s expedition.
· Previously US’s economic interests endangered as Spanish suddenly revoked the right of deposit in New Orleans as secured in Pinckney’s Treaty. Initially aimed to buy New Orleans for $10 million, but ministers accepted offer of New Orleans and Louisana Territory for $15 million.
§ Wilson violated his advocacy for the belief of democracy and self-determination (in his 14 Points) at times when he saw that the nation’s rights were immediately endangered. After the attacks from newly established Huerta, would resort to a policy of “watchful waiting”. However later on would land US marines in Vercruz in response to arrest of US sailors. Raids of Villa resulted in expedition to Mexico by Pershing.
· DIFFERENCES
o Jefferson and Madison often did not move beyond asserting US rights in a certain territory, while Wilson often leaned imperialist with many cases of military intervention; Wilson was also in an age when US was a world power, giving him the authority to assert US as the “policeman” of littler countries.
§ When aimed to secure freedom of the seas in the Mediterranean, would engage in war with the Barbary pirates, gaining their protection and ending there.
§ In cases of Wilson, would move beyond that. Despite recognizing the right of self-determination of other minorities, purchased Virgin Islands from Denmark as a defensive measure against Germany. Would also send troops to Haiti (1915), Dominican Republic (1916), and Cuba (1917) often after the government there was found to be “unstable” (in the case of the revolution in Dominican Republic). Despite his rejection of imperialism, troops still remained there for the next 8 years while nation’s rights were not immediately endangered.
a) US a world power during Wilson’s time whereas TJ and Mad were presidents of a growing nation (growing power vs. world power)
i. Not much respect for US during that time (although War of 1812 gave them some respect)
1. Barbary pirates
2. Needed to expand à LA Purchase w/ France
ii. During Wilson’s time, could act like an “international police force”
1. Jones Act
2. Puerto Rico
3. Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba
4. Huerta
b) Also more involved in international affairs (Allied Powers) whereas War of 1812 was alone
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