The End of the Quasi-War
Victor-Jean Adam. “The Signing of the Treaty of Mortefontaine, 30th September 1800.” Wikimedia.
The only fighting in the Quasi-War occurred at sea, and mostly in the Caribbean. But with war at a fever pitch and French interests so close by in Louisiana, there was a very real concern in Congress about a possible French invasion of the United States from the west.
In 1798, the existing United States Army comprised about 3,300 men, not nearly adequate to defend our borders. Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, called for an expansion of this force to combat the new threat. However, due to the fear of a large permanent army, Congress was hesitant to do so.
Consequently, in May 1798, Congress reluctantly agreed to create a 10,000 soldier “provisional” force. This organization was officially designated the Provisional Army of the United States and was to exist alongside the United States Army.
Despite pressure from Federalists to nominate Hamilton to lead this unit, President John Adams nominated George Washington to be its commander. This appointment surprised many, including Washington himself, as Adams named the former president without ever consulting him on the matter.
Washington, whose official title was commander in chief of all the Armies of the United States, accepted this new command on two conditions. He wanted to remain at Mount Vernon until needed and he wanted to name his own subordinates. Washington requested Hamilton to be his second-in-command and, due to Washington’s advanced age, Hamilton became the de facto commander.
From President Adams’s perspective, Washington’s choice could not have been worse, as Adams and Hamilton had never been close. In a letter to Benjamin Rush, Adams referred to Hamilton as the “bastard brat of a Scotch peddler.” Abigail, John’s wife and chief advisor, stated Hamilton was as “ambitious as Julius Caesar…His thirst for fame is insatiable.”
Unfortunately for both men, this appointment brought them into more frequent contact and conflict. Hamilton, suddenly a major general and a man for whom fame was a fair lady worth courting, seized the opportunity and immediately began diverting federal resources towards this fledgling force. As the crisis with France lessened, Adams was anxious to be rid of this thorn in his side.
As the army never did any fighting and the cost to maintain it was significant, Adams finally disbanded it in 1800. Hamilton was not happy with losing his command and intensified his behind-the-scenes maneuvers to put forward a Federalist presidential candidate for the upcoming election that would be more his puppet than the independent Adams.
In November 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte took over effective control of the French government with the support of wealthy French merchants who owned lucrative plantations in the Caribbean. Bonaparte was anxious to conclude the Quasi-War, which sapped France’s naval resources and harmed his supporters’ economic interests.
"Oliver Ellsworth." New York Public Library.
Consequently, when President Adams sent Oliver Ellsworth, William Vans Murray, and William Richardson Davie to France to open peace negotiations, Napoleon readily agreed to talks. Ellsworth was perhaps the most noteworthy of the trio, having represented Connecticut in the Continental Congress and again at the Constitutional Convention. Along with Roger Sherman, Ellsworth was instrumental in crafting the Connecticut Compromise, which saved the convention. Ellsworth was also Connecticut’s first United States senator and our nation’s third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
On November 9, 1800, the two nations signed the Convention of 1800, also known as the Treaty of Mortefontaine, which acknowledged American rights to the freedom of the seas. However, France refused to compensate American merchants who lost vessels and cargo to French privateers for any of their losses, estimated to be valued at $20 million.
The determination of President Adams to stand by his principles, certainly one of his greatest traits, and not to expand the conflict with France was rewarded. Unfortunately for Adams, the news reached America too late to help him in the election of 1800, in which he faced off again with Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican Party.
Despite Adams’s numerous accomplishments for America and being the incumbent, he was not able to fight both Jefferson from the outside and Hamilton from the inside. Although the race was close, President Adams lost the election of 1800 to Jefferson seventy-five electoral votes to sixty-eight when Adams failed to carry New York state as he did in 1796.
Adams’s willingness to find an acceptable peace and mend fences with France in the face of opposition from his own party would be instrumental in allowing the Louisiana Purchase to happen in 1803. This landmark agreement more than doubled the size of the United States. Ironically, President Adams was somewhat responsible for giving Jefferson his greatest achievement as president.
So why should the Quasi-War matter to us today? This little-known event in our nation’s history represents the first time after securing independence that America had to stand up to a foreign power. Despite being unprepared at the outset of the conflict, the United States quickly responded and acquitted itself well.
The United States Navy, hastily assembled, proved to be more than a match for French warships. Revolutionary France found out, as the British did in the American Revolution, that America was a country to be taken seriously, helping the young nation to gain credibility in the eyes of the world.
Next week, we will discuss the legacy of John Adams. Until then, may your motto be “Ducit Amor Patriae,” love of country leads me.
The only fighting in the Quasi-War occurred at sea, and mostly in the Caribbean. But with war at a fever pitch and French interests so close by in Louisiana, there was a very real concern in Congress about a possible French invasion of the United States from the west.