George Washingon’s Vision for Peace

This book views United States history through neutrality, a unique contribution of the United States to international law. Neutrality was once a cherished ideal embraced by a majority of Americans that today is inconceivable to most.
The reader will meet Citizen Genet, who nearly overthrew the young United States then led by President George Washington. Genet’s actions were pivotal to Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality and later his Farewell Address which stressed the importance of neutrality and a friendly attitude towards all countries. The Farewell Address became the cornerstone of United States foreign policy for the next century.

In 1895, with the approval of President Grover Cleveland, Secretary of State Richard Olney created a diplomatic note that started the United States on the path to abandon neutrality. The United States declared that any assault on either North or South America was an assault on the United States and would result in military action to defend United States interests.

Francis shows the sad legacy of abandoning neutrality through military interventions that have cost millions of lives, and he makes the case that neutrality is still of great importance today. Given the real possibility of a nuclear holocaust, neutrality as envisioned by George Washington’s Farewell Address could be a key element towards achieving lasting world peace.