The Life of George Washington, Vol. 5 / Commander in Chief of the American Forces During the War / which Established the Independence of his Country and First / President of the United States

The volume follows the President's management of foreign crises during the war between Great Britain and France, centering on the proclamation of neutrality, the arrival and provocative conduct of a French minister, and the fierce partisan reactions these events provoked. It describes cabinet deliberations and presidential messages, domestic measures for regulating neutral commerce and port conduct, the request for the minister's recall, and competing British and French orders affecting American trade. The narrative also examines public demonstrations, the role of the press and political societies in shaping opinion, and congressional responses to the administration's foreign-policy challenges.