The Roman Senate persistently resisted foreign military involvements but was just as persistently drawn into them. Their desire for isolationism was as unrealistic as ours.
American Isolationism is traced back to Washington’s Farewell Address (written by Hamilton) and that is a completely invalid interpretation of what that document was about. It was, first and foremost, a warning against Secession or dissolution of the Union.
The warning Washington gave about involvement in European wars in 1796 was because the Republican French supporters (Jeffersonians) would be at war with the Federalist English supporters here in this country. And it was for a specific time and place. No one who has looked at Hamilton would mistake him as an “isolationist”.
Washington and Hamilton understood that our military power was so weak that we had trouble beating the Indians on the frontiers much less a French or British army. Jeffersonians in the Congress had reduced our naval buildup and emasculated our ability to respond to the seizure of our shipping by either nation and the Barbary pirates.
This guy is the Maxine Waters of the Right.
No one who has looked at Hamilton would mistake him as an “isolationist”.
True dat.
Yes. And against party or regional factionalism, as opposed to Americanism.