The United States’ Struggle Against Britain and France to Preserve Neutrality in International Maritime Trade (1793-1800)
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to analyze the struggle of the United States to protect its neutral trading rights at sea. This struggle occurred within the context of a newly established nation asserting its independence.
The scientific novelty. The article comprehensively evaluates the diplomatic efforts to compel Britain and France (the two leading world powers at the time) to recognize and respect the United States' maritime neutrality. American leaders mobilized both domestic and international resources to achieve these goals. This outcome affirmed the trend toward independent, sovereign diplomacy by the first republic in the Western Hemisphere, a republic that sought to separate itself from European constraints and establish freedom of navigation on its own terms.
Conclusions. The United States’ early struggle to defend its maritime neutrality revealed that the principles of neutral rights in wartime were first shaped during the War for Independence. The 1776 Plan laid the groundwork for protecting neutral trade and reflected the young nation’s ideal of freedom on the seas, which was appropriate given its limited naval strength. To secure international recognition of these principles, American leaders resisted the influence of powerful nations like Britain and France through diplomacy, economic measures, and selective military action. By framing neutrality as a patriotic cause, the government mobilized public support, leading to widespread rallies, press campaigns, and volunteer enlistments – signs of national unity in the republic’s early years.
In negotiations, the U.S. exploited its rivals’ weaknesses to advance its interests. The United States used the British Empire’s dependence on American goods and its fear of neutral coalitions to secure recognition of free trade and compensation for seized ships in the Jay Treaty (1794). With France, it leveraged Napoleon’s reliance on neutral shipping and concerns over Anglo-American alignment to reach the Treaty of Mortefontaine, which ended old alliances and affirmed America’s neutral trading rights.
Funding. This research is funded by the Ministry of Education and Training (Vietnam) under grant number B2025-DHH-22.
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