Review of
The First
War of the United States: The Quasi War With France 1798-1801, by William J. Phalen, ISBN
9788193759165
Five out
of five stars
Covers a
war rarely mentioned
The primary great power rivalry of the eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries was between Britain and France. France directly intervened
in the American war for independence, and it seems unlikely that the United
States would have won if it were not for the French help. At the time, France
was a monarchy, which created issues with some Americans that were generally
opposed to monarchies.
As the United States made the initial steps to
nationhood, the French did what great powers always do, they tried to
manipulate events to their advantage. The reality was that the achieving of
independence did not change the fundamental ties of commerce and business
between the United States and Great Britain. The British also did all they
could to maintain their commercial ties with their former colony. The French
also felt that the United States owed them some gratitude for their assistance.
This book covers the relationship between
France and the United States in the years immediately after the American war of
independence through the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams and
the first year of the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Two main political parties
with widely different positions were forming in the United States, and the
French Revolution overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. The French
republic was more aggressively warlike than the monarchy, leading to
significant conflict between the United States and France.
One amazing fact that is often lost to history
is that at the time of the presidency of Washington, the United States had not
a single warship to protect the country from seaborne aggression. Even though
there was a very large merchant fleet. Therefore, the American navy had to
literally be built from scratch.
This is a fascinating description of the early
years of the United States when the founding fathers had to govern the country
and deal with foreign nations that were often hostile and manipulative. Despite
some significant disagreements, those men managed to steer the country through
the dangerous waters and avoid what would have been a disastrous overt war with
France.