George Washington's Foreign Policy

Over the years, foreign policy has had a different take on our country depending on the President of the United States. When our country first became independent, George Washington did not involve himself in conflicts with other countries, especially with Britain or France. Twenty-six presidents later, Theodore Roosevelt involved our country more globally, especially with the Panama Canal (Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Affairs np). Ronald Reagan, our fortieth President, involved the United States with the Soviet Union, the Iran-Contra Affair, and other important events (Ronald Reagan: Foreign Affairs np). Therefore, foreign policy with the United States has evolved greatly between Presidents George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan.

Once Washington was informed, he again did not want to have a naval battle with them. Instead, the ruler of Algiers wrote a treaty demanding annual payments. Although Washington did not want to pay the bribe, he did not have a choice, considering the small, weak navy force he had. This again shows how Washington decides to stay out of conflicts with other countries. Pinckney’s treaty set a great outcome for the US. It allowed the Americans to have access to the Mississippi River and Port New Orleans. This was a great outcome under Washington’s term because it allowed for more settlement in the west, and a good relationship with Spain. Towards the end of his presidency, Washington was again faced the problem of impressment of American ships, however it was not by Britain but France. Washington, again, still wanted to stay out of naval battles, but still exchanged gunshots over a few years (Foreign Affairs np). As shown, George Washington did not want to involve America in unnecessary foreign wars, and therefore did everything he could to stay away from conflicts out of the

One of the most important things Roosevelt created was the Panama Canal. Roosevelt negotiated with Britain to help gain support for the canal. He also needed agreement from Colombia, considering it was their land. Once they denied, “the United States supported a Panamanian revolution with money and a naval blockade, the latter of which prevented Colombian troops from landing in Panama” (Theodore Roosevelt: Foreign Affairs np). The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty with the US and Panama gave America control of the canal for $10 million and a payment of $250,000 annually (Foreign Affairs np). The canal also brought the US great advances in US technology and engineering and a great spot for American military forces to bring dominant power to Central America (Foreign Affairs np). Roosevelt is much different from Washington, and wanted to expand the US’s take on global power with the establishment of the Panama