In the turbulent spring of 1793, the young United States confronted its first profound foreign policy crisis. Revolutionary France, having declared war on a coalition including Great Britain, looked to its 1778 treaty ally for support. The alliance had been crucial during America’s War of Independence, providing naval power under admirals such as de Grasse, troops at Yorktown, and loans that kept the Continental Army afloat. Thomas Jefferson, as secretary of state, passionately advocated honoring the treaty, viewing it as a debt of gratitude to a nation that shared republican ideals and had sacrificed much for American liberty. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton argued forcefully against entanglement: The treaty bound America to the French monarchy, now guillotined amid the Reign of Terror. The radical republic that replaced it bore little resemblance to the partner of 1778, having descended into chaos, executions, and ideological extremism that threatened neighboring states.