When news of the French Revolution reached American, many
Americans believed that France would also become a republic and be a strong all
against monarchial governments such as Britain however, the instability, violence
and abuses that occurred during that period divided American public
opinion. Some supported the idea such Secretary
of State Thomas Jefferson while there were those who oppose giving support like
Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton.
At that time, President George Washington had to preserve the balance
between these two politicians. Given
volatility of the situation, American decided to remain neutral.
