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Difficulty: MediumPolitics, Hamilton's Plan, and Foreign Policy in the New Republic

"Let us, then, in the name of common sense, examine what is the treaty. It is an agreement between two independent nations, to settle differences, and to regulate their future intercourse. It is not an alliance, offensive or defensive. It does not bind us to support Great Britain in her wars... The treaty, then, is a treaty of peace and commerce..."

— Alexander Hamilton, writing as "Camillus" in The Defence, No. I, 1795

The debate referenced in the excerpt most directly reflected which of the following political divisions in the United States during the 1790s?

  1. A
    Arguments that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised to give the executive branch treaty-making power.
  2. B
    Federalist efforts to secure a military alliance with revolutionary France to promote agrarian expansion.
  3. Disagreements over whether the United States should align with Great Britain or France in their ongoing conflict.Answer
  4. D
    Democratic-Republican demands to establish a national bank to finance a war against Great Britain.

Answer

Disagreements over whether the United States should align with Great Britain or France in their ongoing conflict.
The debate over Jay's Treaty (1795) was one of the defining foreign policy controversies of the 1790s, highlighting the division between Hamilton's Federalists, who wanted to preserve commercial ties with Great Britain, and Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans, who viewed the treaty as a betrayal of revolutionary France and a threat to American republicanism.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context.
The excerpt is from Alexander Hamilton, writing under the pseudonym 'Camillus' in 1795, defending 'the treaty'—specifically Jay's Treaty with Great Britain.
Understanding the source and date (1795) helps place the debate within the context of early American foreign policy under the Washington administration.
2
Identify the political factions and their views on the treaty.
Federalists (like Hamilton) supported Jay's Treaty to maintain peaceful relations and trade with Britain, while Democratic-Republicans opposed it, arguing it betrayed France and favored British interests.
This links the specific treaty to the broader factional debates between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans over foreign policy alignments.
3
Select the option that matches this division.
The option describing disagreements over aligning with Great Britain or France directly captures this factional division.
Jay's Treaty was a central point of contention that solidified the first party system around foreign policy alignments.

Key Concept

The First Party System and Foreign Policy Alignments
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Politics, Hamilton's Plan, and Foreign Policy in the New Republic

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