What made it difficult for early US leaders to maintain neutrality during conflicts between France and Great Britain

In 1793, France, under the leadership of Napoleon, declared war on Spain, Britain and Holland. The United States lacked the resources and desire to enter the Napoleonic Wars, and even Jefferson agreed with Hamilton and Washington that USA should remain neutral.

US neutrality was compromised when Citizen Zenet, the French ambassador to the United States, began to recruit Americans to fight for the French. Additionally, Genet tried to use American ports to launch French naval attacks on the British and use American soil to train French troops.

Hamilton argued that the US did not need to honour the 1778 treaty because it had been an agreement with the king of France, not with the new French Republic established during the French Revolution. hamilton also encouraged Washington to deny Genet's request that the United States repay its debts to France in advance.