In his farewell speech, Washington warned Congress to avoid "entangling alliances" as well as devolving into partisan factions. What did he mean by...

When Washington addresses “entangling alliances,” we must understand this phrase contextually. At the time, even before its inception as a nation, the United States participated on the international stage, which ranged from wars with France to its own uprising against England (with help from France), coupled with clashes with Spain in the New World, and even forays into Canada. It was common, then, to assume that Washington's speech advocated a foreign policy based on isolationism,...

When Washington addresses “entangling alliances,” we must understand this phrase contextually. At the time, even before its inception as a nation, the United States participated on the international stage, which ranged from wars with France to its own uprising against England (with help from France), coupled with clashes with Spain in the New World, and even forays into Canada. It was common, then, to assume that Washington's speech advocated a foreign policy based on isolationism, even if such a policy would be downright impossible, given the country's previous encounters.

All of the above examples constitute “entangling alliances,” and Washington was surely aware of this. However, the goal (and meaning) of this section of the speech was for Washington to delineate an acute response to the partisan factions at home, as opposed to a strict doctrine of meddlesome foreign policy. We have to consider, as well, that Washington had not sided with Madison and Jefferson (both of whom supported France) during the revolution, and as such, opted for a more neutral approach with respect to France and England.

In a nutshell, the United States then (and now, for that matter) could not excuse itself from alliances, both domestic and abroad. Washington understood this, and was not suggesting that this was a possibility. Rather, limiting the scope of our involvement in order to secure and maintain America's newly sovereign status was of the utmost concern. In reference to avoiding “partisan factors,” Washington was chiefly concerned with the schism between French and English factions in the United States. While the reality of this divide was unavoidable, Washington was clever enough to know that a newly formed national government and a weak army, coupled with opposing support for France and England, did not serve to unify the nation. Thus, while complete avoidance was not possible, Washington could influence the American public to invest in their own country rather than “entangle” themselves abroad.