The diplomatic history of the United States oscillated among three positions: isolation from diplomatic entanglements of other (typically European) nations (but with economic connections to the world); alliances with European and other military partners; and unilateralism, or operating on its own sovereign policy decisions. The US always was large in terms of area, but its population was small, only 4 million in 1790. Population growth was rapid, reaching 7.2 million in 1810, 32 million in 1860, 76 million in 1900, 132 million in 1940, and 316 million in 2013. Economic growth in terms of overall GDP was even faster. However, the nation's military strength was quite limited in peacetime before 1940.

17th century 1689–1697 — King William's War against France and French Canada. 1690 — Massachusetts troops capture French fortress of Port Royal 1697 — Peace of Ryswick ends the war; captured territories restored.

18th century

1702–1713 – Queen Anne's War against France, Spain and its colonies. Indian allies of the French raided New England villages. South Carolina forces raided Spanish Florida. 1713 – Treaty of Utrecht ends the war; Britain keeps Newfoundland and Acadia from France. 1715–1728 – Yamasee War against Yamasee tribe in South Carolina and its allies. 1721 – Treaty with South Carolina established with the Cherokee and the Province of South Carolina which ceded land between the Santee, Saluda, and Edisto Rivers to the Province of South Carolina. 1727 – Treaty of Nikwasi established a trade agreement between the Cherokee and the Province of North Carolina. 1739–1742 – War of Jenkins' Ear against Spain. 1740–1748 – King George's War with France. 1754–1763 – French and Indian War with France; major British victory and they keep French Canada. American colonists played a major role but were not given any of the spoils. 1754 – Benjamin Franklin proposes the Albany Plan of Union, which would establish a federal government for eleven of the colonies in British North America to adjudicate colonial territorial disputes and diplomatic policy towards Native Americans; it is rejected by most of the colonial governments and never goes into effect. 1761 – Treaty of Long-Island-on-the-Holston established with the Cherokee and the Colony of Virginia which ended the Anglo-Cherokee war with the colony. 1762 – Treaty of Charlestown established with the Cherokee and the Province of South Carolina which ended the Anglo-Cherokee war with the colony. 1763 – Pontiac's War British war with western Indians. 1774 – The Thirteen Colonies convene the First Continental Congress and adopt a boycott of British goods and embargo on American exports in protest of the Intolerable Acts. 1775 – Regular troops of the British Army and minutemen of colonial militias exchange fire at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, beginning the American Revolutionary War. 1775 – The Second Continental Congress sends the Olive Branch Petition to King George III pleading their loyalty to the British Crown; it is ignored and the King issues the Proclamation of Rebellion. 1776 – Thirteen United Colonies declared independence as the United States of America on July 2; Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4 1776 – Three commissioners sent to Europe to negotiate treaties. Britain bans trade with the Thirteen Colonies, and the Second Continental Congress responds by opening American ports to all foreign vessels except from Great Britain. The Second Continental Congress also adopts the Model Treaty as a template for any future trade agreements with European countries such as France and Spain. 1776 – Treaty of Watertown, the first treaty by the independent United States, is signed establishing a military alliance with the Miꞌkmaq tribe. 1777 – European officers join the Continental Army, including Marquis de Lafayette, Johann de Kalb, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and Tadeusz Kościuszko 1777 – Treaty of Dewitt's Corner between the Overhill Cherokee and the State of South Carolina which ceded the lands of the Cherokee Lower Towns in the State of South Carolina, except for a narrow strip of what is now Oconee County. 1777 – France decides to recognize America in December after victory at Saratoga, New York 1778 – Treaty of Alliance with France. Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, the US and France agreed to a military alliance; France sends naval and land forces, and much-needed munitions. 1778 – Carlisle Peace Commission sent by Great Britain; offers Americans all the terms they sought in 1775, but not independence; rejected. 1779 – Spain enters the war as an ally of France (but not of America); John Jay appointed minister to Spain; he obtains money but not recognition. 1779 – John Adams sent to Paris, to negotiate peace terms with Great Britain 1780 – Russia proclaims "armed neutrality" which helps Allies 1780–81 – Russia and Austria propose peace terms; rejected by Adams. 1781 – Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens and Thomas Jefferson named to assist Adams in peace negotiations; the Congress of the Confederation insists on independence; all else is negotiable — Robert R. Livingston named first United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs 1782 – The Dutch Republic recognizes American independence and signs treaty of commerce and friendship; Dutch bankers loan US$2 million for war supplies 1783 – Treaty of Paris with Britain. Ends Revolutionary War; US boundaries confirmed as British North America (Canada) on north, Mississippi River on west, Florida on south. Britain gives Florida to Spain. 1783 – A commercial treaty with SwedenSee text 1784 – British allow trade with America but forbid some American food exports to West Indies; British exports to America reach £3.7 million, imports only £750,000; imbalance causes shortage of gold in US. — May 7 Congress votes to begin negotiations with Morocco.Fremont-Barnes, Gregory The Wars of the Barbary Pirates, London: Osprey, 2006 page 13 — New York–based merchants open trade with China, followed by Salem, Boston and Philadelphia merchants. — October 11 Moroccan corsair seizes the American ship Betsey and enslaves the crew; the Moroccans demand that the US pay a ransom to release the crew and a treaty to pay tribute to avoid future such incidents. 1784 – Treaty of Fort Stanwix in which the Iroquois Confederacy cedes all lands west of the Niagara River to the United States. 1785 – Treaty of Hopewell 1785 – Adams appointed first minister to Court of St James's (Great Britain); Jefferson replaces Franklin as minister to France. — March 11 Congress votes to appropriate $80,000 to pay in tribute to the Barbary states of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. — July 9 The Moroccans release the Betsy and her crew. — July 25 Algerine pirates seizes the American ship Maria off the coast of Portugal; Algiers declares war on the US, and the dey Muhammad V of Algiers demands that the US pay $1 million in tribute to end the war. 1785–86 – A commercial treaty with PrussiaSee link 1786 – March 25 A team of American diplomats arrive in Algiers to begin talks on paying tribute and a ransom to free the enslaved American sailors. — June 23 Moroccan-American treaty is signed in the US agrees to pay tribute to Morocco in exchange for a promise that Moroccan corsairs will not attack American ships. 1789 – Jay–Gardoqui Treaty with Spain, gave Spain exclusive right to navigate Mississippi River for 25 years; not ratified due to western opposition — March 1 United States Congress succeeds Congress of the Confederation — July 27 Department of Foreign Affairs signed into law — September, changed to Department of State; Jefferson appointed; John Jay continues to act as foreign affairs secretary until Jefferson's return from France; from 1789 to 1883. Much of the routine overseas business is the responsibility of navy officers. 1789 – Treaty of Fort Harmar 1791 – Treaty of Holston 1791 – In response to the beginning of the Haitian Revolution, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson proposes limited aid to help suppress the revolt but also pressures the French government to reach a settlement with the Haitian revolutionaries. 1792 — February 22 Congress votes to send another team of diplomats to Algiers to pay a ransom for the enslaved Americans and to negotiate a tribute treaty. 1793–1815 – Major worldwide war between Great Britain and France (and their allies); America neutral until 1812 and demands the right to do business with both sides 1794 -:— March 20 Congress votes to establish a navy and to spend $1 million building six frigates. Birth of the United States Navy. 1794 — The United States expels French Ambassador Edmond-Charles Genêt for his attempts to recruit privateers in violation of U.S. neutrality policy. 1795 – — June 24 Jay Treaty with Britain. Averts war, opens 10 years of peaceful trade with Britain, fails to settle neutrality issues; British eventually evacuate western forts; boundary lines and debts (in both directions) to be settled by arbitration. Barely approved by Senate (1795) after revision; intensely opposed, became major issue in the formation of First Party System.Todd Estes, "Shaping the politics of public opinion: Federalists and the Jay treaty debate." Journal of the Early Republic 20.3 (2000): 393–422. online — September 5 United States signs a treaty agreeing to pay tribute to Algiers in exchange for which the dey Ali Hassan will free the 85 surviving American slaves. The treaty with Algiers is considered a national humiliation. 1796 – Treaty of Colerain 1796 – Treaty of Madrid established boundaries with the Spanish colonies of Florida and Louisiana and guaranteed navigation rights on the Mississippi River. It becomes law. — July 11 Algiers frees the 85 American slaves. — The pasha Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli, hoping for a similar treaty that Algiers has achieved starts attacking and seizing American ships. — President George Washington, preparing to leave office and troubled by the French Revolutionary Wars in Europe, issues his famous Farewell Address urging Americans to avoid involvement in foreign wars, beginning a century of isolationism as the predominant foreign policy of the United States. 1797 – — President Adams asks Congress to spend more money on the navy and to arm American merchantmen in response to the Barbary pirate attacks.Fremont-Barnes, Gregory The Wars of the Barbary Pirates, London: Osprey, 2006 page 14 — August 28 Treaty of Tripoli; treaty with Barbary state of Tripoli approved unanimously by Senate and signed into law by President John Adams on June 10; states "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." First Treaty of Tellico with the Cherokee Nation 1798 – XYZ Affair; humiliation by French diplomats; threat of war with France 1798–1800 – Quasi-War; undeclared naval war with France. 1800 – — April Tripoli threatens war if the US does not pay more tribute.Fremont-Barnes, Gregory The Wars of the Barbary States, London: Osprey, 2006 page 14. — July The Tripolitan warship Tripolino takes the American merchantman Catherine and enslaves the crew. Much outrage in the US — September 30 Convention of 1800 (Treaty of Mortefontaine) with France ends the Quasi-War and ends alliance of 1778. The treaty frees up the US Navy for operations against the Barbary pirates.

1801 – 1865 Early 19th century — The Barbary states of Algiers, Morocco, Tripoli, and Tunis require America to pay protection money under the Barbary treaties. 1801— The beginning of the First Barbary War. President Jefferson does not ask Congress for a declaration of war against Tripoli, but instead decides to begin military operations against Tripoli, arguing that the president has the right to begin military operations in self-defense without asking for permission from Congress.Fremont-Barnes, Gregory The Wars of the Barbary States, London: Osprey, 2006 page 39.