The Genet Affair

Following the execution of King Louis XVI by French revolutionaries, and their subsequent declaration of war on Great Britain, Washington was faced with an almost impossible decision. He could either enforce strict, American neutrality in the coming conflict, or risk a costly war that could destroy the young nation.

Several recent developments in both American and Europe led to Washington’s decision. The French Revolution turned more radical when it beheaded King Louis XVI in January 1793. Ten days later, revolutionary France, already fighting Austria and Prussia, declared war on England, Holland, and Spain, embroiling the entire European continent in conflict.

Lastly, on April 8, 1793 the new French minister, Edmond Genet, arrived in Charleston, South Carolina. Genet was an instant hit with the American people who flocked in large numbers to greet the ebullient Frenchmen as he made his way north to the capital in Philadelphia. More ominous, however, was the fact that Genet, armed with commissions and letters of marque from his government, actively recruited Americans to fight for revolutionary France.