apr 22, 1792 - Neutrality Proclamation

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There was great pressure on the young republic to become entangled in a war between England and France, especially since we had established the Franco-American alliance in 1778, which held us responsible to come to France's aid in the Caribbean. Washington intuitively knew that this would be bad for the U.S. and declared neutrality. This early decision is an important reason why the U.S. has had isolationist tendencies for much of our history.

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