How Did The Revolutionary War Shaped America's Foreign Policy

After the Revolutionary War, our country was very weak and fragile, but our first five presidents helped build a foundation for the United States of America to become stronger. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe helped shape our country with their foreign policies. Some chose neutrality, some chose isolation and some even wanted war.
Our first president, George Washington, had wanted to stay neutral with other nations. George Washington had created the Proclamation of Neutrality to this and “adopt and pursue a conduct friendly and impartial toward the belligerent Powers (doc.1);” Washington did not want to get into conflict with the belligerent Powers because he knew that if he did, then America would go through another war that could affect the progress of the new country’s development. In George Washington’s Farewell Speech, he had said that “ it is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world (doc.2).” Washington said this because his goal was to
Madison desired war and Monroe wanted control of The Western hemisphere and would not attack if Europe did trespass in those lands. Madison had said that “ ‘British cruisers (ships) have been in the practice of violating the rights and the peace of our coasts… Our commerce has been plundered (taken) in every sea, the great staples of our country have been cut off from our legitimate markets and a destructive blow aimed at our agriculture and maritime interest and now we behold…on the side of Great Britain a state of war against the United States(doc.7).’ ”This proves that Madison wanted to go to war with European countries. Monroe had said that “The Western Hemisphere Closed to European colonization. If Europe observed this, The U.S. would not intervene in Europe’s affairs (doc.9).” This means that Europe can no longer colonize other