The Quasi-War and Its Aftermath

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

In 1798, calls for war with France were rising and there was concern about a possible French invasion. The existing US Army comprised about 3,000 men, not nearly adequate to defend our borders. Congress reluctantly agreed to create a 10,000 soldier “provisional” force and President John Adams nominated George Washington to lead it. Despite being unprepared at the outset of the Quasi-War, the United States quickly responded and acquitted itself well.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how Revolutionary France found out, as the British did in the American Revolution, that America was a country to be taken seriously, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of US Senate, Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, William & Mary Law Library, Wikipedia.

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Tom Hand
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