Genet Affair and Neutrality Proclamation :: essays research papers

Washingtons disinterest Proclamation and the Gent AffairEdmond Charles douard Gent (1763-1834) had been a representative for France in Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Berlin just before the French Revolution. A short time later, in 1792, he was removed from his position in Russia because of his revolutionary passions.      At this time, Americans were by-line the French Revolution very closely, only when Frances declaration of fight on Great Britain hadnt greatly affected American politics, yet. This changed in 1972, when none other than Edmond Charles Gent was chosen to serve as the spick-and-span French envoy to the United States. When he arrived, French supporters went crazy. Gent maxim this and decided to use his new popularity and influence to act on his home beliefs. He attempted to gather troops to launch an attack on Spanish Florida and pay fleets of privateers to cripple British commerce. These actions violated Washingtons promise to remain "friend ly and impartial toward the belligerent powers" which was the basis of his disinterest Proclamation. Washington devised this treaty, which excluded the United States from the French Revolutionary Wars because America was still comparatively young and unprepared for involvement in such international conflict. loath to break his own terms and irritated by such see acts of rebellion, the professorship, backed by Alexander Hamilton (pro-British), reacted with strong opposition towards Gents demonstrations. Many other French supporters similar to Gent had been tried for violating the neutrality, but were protected by pro-French juries. Washington banned the use of U.S. ports to the privateers, so Gent threatened to turn to the people for their opinion. This had gone too far, so the President promptly implored that the French government recall their troublesome minister. They consented without argument, and Gent was asked to hap to his country.