January 28, 2020
Quasi-War E30: The Marines Return: America's Response to France
Tensions with France were at a breaking point. Jay's Treaty, the seizure of American ships, and the XYZ Affair had fueled public outrage, forcing the U.S. to choose between diplomacy and war. President John Adams sought peace, but pressure mounted. Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, pushed for military expansion, while Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans feared a slide into tyranny. Congress responded by creating the Department of the Navy, re-establishing the Marine Corps, and passing the Alien and Sedition Acts—clear signs that America was preparing for conflict. This episode explores the political battles, military buildup, and high-stakes diplomacy that led to the Quasi-War.
References
- Abbot, W. J. (1899). The naval history of the United States (Vol. 1). Peter Fenelon Collier.
- Allen, G. W. (2012). Our naval war with France. Hardpress Publishing.
- Billias, G. A. (1976). Elbridge Gerry: Founding father and republican statesman. McGraw-Hill.
- Clark, W. B. (1938). Gallant John Barry 1745–1803: The story of a naval hero of two wars. The Macmillan Company.
- Corwin, E. S. (1970). French policy and the American alliance of 1778. B. Franklin.
- Dauer, M. J. (1968). The Adams Federalists. Johns Hopkins Press.
- DeConde, A. (1966). The quasi-war: The politics and diplomacy of the undeclared war with France, 1797–1801. Charles Scribner’s Sons.
- Echeverria, D. (1968). Mirage in the West: A history of the French image of American society to 1815, etc. (2nd ed.). Princeton University Press.
- Estes, T. (2008). The Jay Treaty debate, public opinion, and the evolution of early American political culture. University Of Massachusetts Press.
- Fifth Congress. Session II. Chapter 48. (1798, May 28).
- Fredriksen, J. C. (2011). The United States Marine Corps: A chronology, 1775 to the present. ABC-CLIO.
- Historical Branch, G-3 Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. (1961). A chronology of the United States Marine Corps (Vol. 27).
- Miller, W. M., & Johnstone, J. H. (1965). A chronology of the United States Marine Corps, 1775–1934 (Vol. 1). Historical Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
- Naval History and Heritage Command. (n.d.). Cutting out expedition, 1800. Retrieved from https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/uss-constitutions-battle-record0/cutting-out-expedition-1800.html
- Ohls, G. J. (2017). American amphibious warfare: The roots of tradition to 1865. Naval Institute Press.
- Palmer, M. A. (1987). Stoddert's war: Naval operations during the quasi-war with France, 1798–1801. University of South Carolina Press.
- Phalen, W. J. (2018). The first war of the United States: The quasi-war with France, 1798–1801. VIJ Books (India) PTY LTD.
- Stinchcombe, W. (1977). The diplomacy of the WXYZ Affair. The William and Mary Quarterly, 34(4), 590. https://doi.org/10.2307/2936184
- Toll, I. W. (2008). Six frigates: The epic history of the founding of the U.S. Navy. W. W. Norton & Co.
- United States (frigate) 1797–1865. (2016, February 22). Retrieved from https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/u/united-states-frigate.html
- United States. Office of Naval Records and Library. (1935–1938). Naval documents related to the quasi-war between the United States and France: Naval operations ... February 1797–December 1801. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- The Federalist Papers.
- The Papers of Thomas Jefferson.
Explore the battles from this episode
Find every engagement on the Bloodline interactive battle map.