Existing comment:
Avoiding War
By the 1790s, relations between Great Britain and the United States had deteriorated nearly to the point of war. Knowing that his young country could not suffer another conflict, Washington turned to diplomacy.
He sent Supreme Court Justice John Jay to England to negotiate a treaty. Afterwards, Americans -- outraged by terms favoring the British -- burned Jay in effigy and angrily denounced Washington. However, the flawed agreement successfully saved the country from war and gave it time to grow stronger. |