[Sailor Steve]

Of course the American state of mind was varied and complicated at that point. Under President Washington we tried to stay out of the British-French conflicts. His Treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, didn't exactly support the British, but he didn't trust the French. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson wasn't happy with the bloody turn the French Revolution took, but he didn't trust the British. They fought about it incessantly. After Jefferson resigned his post Hamilton convinced the president that Britain was the lesser evil, and could actually protect their convoys. Washington sent John Jay to negotiate a treaty that gave away more than it gained, and Jefferson wrote a letter to a friend that became public, causing a falling-out between him and Washington.

While John Adams was president and Jefferson vice-president French ships preyed on Amercan merchants in French waters. There was a large public outcry demanding that we go to war with France. Adams kept us out of war, but waged an undeclared 'quasi-war'. Hamilton wanted the war, seemingly because he would be the commanding general which would set him up as a candidate for president. When Adams prevented that from happening Hamilton reacted by withdrawing his support in the next election, which Jefferson won.

During Jefferson's presidency the 'Chesapeake Affair' took place, which Jefferson countered with an embargo which hurt the United States more than anyone else. British sailors jumped ship because conditions were much better in the US Navy and merchant service. This continued to 1812 and you know the rest. I just wanted to point out that conditions on both sides were confused politically and both sides went into the war with no clear objectives, and it was pretty much a mess for everybody.