The first thing that really made George Washington a big name was the Revolutionary War even though he did play a significant role in the French and Indian War. Laboring against great difficulties, he created the Continental Army, which fought and won the American Revolution, “out of what was little more than an armed mob” (Web1). The turning point of the war was the battle of Trenton where George Washington decided on a surprise attack during Christmas. After an eight-year

Two weeks after Washington’s second inauguration, reports reached Philadelphia of the execution in France of King Louis XVI. Two weeks later came the news that Washington had feared: Revolutionary France had declared war on Britain, Spain, and the Netherlands. The United States had allied themselves with France after France was helped the colonists in the Revolution. The president asked both Jefferson and Hamilton for suggestions on how to maintain strict neutrality. Hamilton and Jefferson, two of Washington’s closest advisors in the cabinet, did not think neutrality was a good idea. They felt that only bad things would come of it. Washington wondered if he should proclaim neutrality and if the treaties of 1778 are still valid. Washington’s advisors did not want to declare neutrality, however, on April 22, 1793 Washington did. He briefly stated that he did not want to participate in the war and that the American government would not aid any citizens who decide to “abet hostilities” (Web1). A storm of criticism beset Washington’s decisions from every quarter.

George Washington changed the way American foreign policy was handled through his 1793 Proclamation of Neutrality. One might ponder: What if the United States of America had entered the war in Europe in 1793, what would the United States foreign policy be like? Luckily, Washington made the right decision for the time. However, documents like the Proclamation of Neutrality and the Monroe Doctrine grew old for this changing world. For a nation to fully grow, containment and isolationism will never work.

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