Editing George Washington (section)

===Second term===
[[File:Official_Presidential_portrait_of_Thomas_Jefferson_(by_Rembrandt_Peale,_1800).jpg|thumb|alt=Head and shoulder portrait|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]]]]

Washington initially planned to retire after his first term, weary of office and in poor health. After dealing with the infighting in his cabinet and with partisan critics, he showed little enthusiasm for a second term, and Martha wanted him not to run.{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=674-675, 678|Ferling|2009|2p=362|Randall|1997|3p=484}} Washington's nephew George Augustine Washington, managing Mount Vernon in his absence, was critically ill, further increasing Washington's desire to retire.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=687}} Many, however, urged him to run for a second term. Madison told him that his absence would allow the dangerous political rift in his cabinet and the House to worsen. Jefferson also pleaded with him not to retire, pledging to drop his attacks on Hamilton.{{sfnm|Ferling|2010|1p=421|Randall|1997|2p=482|Chernow|2010|3pp=675, 678}} Hamilton maintained that Washington's absence would be "deplored as the greatest evil" to the country.{{sfn|Chernow|2005|p=403}} With the [[1792 United States presidential election|election of 1792]] nearing, Washington agreed to run.{{sfn|Cooke|2002|p=10}} On February 13, 1793, the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] unanimously re-elected Washington president, while John Adams was re-elected as vice president by a vote of 77 to 50.{{sfn|Cooke|2002|p=10}} Washington was sworn into office by Associate Justice [[William Cushing]] on March 4, 1793, in [[Congress Hall]] in Philadelphia.{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1p=687|Cooke|2002|2pp=10–11}}

On April 22, 1793, after the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] broke out, Washington [[Proclamation of Neutrality|issued a proclamation]] declaring American neutrality. He was resolved to pursue "a conduct friendly and impartial toward the belligerent Powers" while warning Americans not to intervene in the conflict.{{sfnm|Ferling|2009|1pp=299, 304, 308–311|Banning|1974|2p=2|Cooke|2002|3pp=11–12}} Although Washington recognized France's revolutionary government, he eventually asked that the French minister to the United States, [[Edmond-Charles Genêt]], be recalled.{{sfn|Cooke|2002|pp=12–13}} Genêt was a diplomatic troublemaker who was openly hostile toward Washington's neutrality policy. He procured four American ships as privateers to strike at Spanish forces (British allies) in [[Florida]] while organizing militias to strike at other British possessions. However, his efforts failed to draw the United States into the conflict.{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1p=692|Cooke|2002|2p=12}}

During his second term Washington faced two major domestic conflicts. The first was the [[Whiskey Rebellion]] (1791&ndash;1794), a Pennsylvania revolt against liquor taxation. Washington mobilized a militia and personally commanded an expedition against the rebels which suppressed the insurgency.{{sfn|Ellis|2004|p=225}}<ref name=anb/> The second was the [[Northwest Indian War]] between White settlers and Native Americans who were supported by the British; the latter were stationed in forts that they had refused to abandon after the Revolutionary War.<ref name=anb/>{{sfn|Benn|1993|p=17}} In 1794 American troops defeated the Native American forces at the [[Battle of Fallen Timbers]], ending the conflict between the two.<ref name=anb/>

Hamilton formulated the [[Jay Treaty]] to normalize trade relations with Britain while removing them from western forts, and also to resolve financial debts remaining from the Revolution.{{sfn|Elkins|McKitrick|1995|loc=ch. 9}} Chief Justice [[John Jay]] represented Washington's position and signed the treaty on November 19, 1794. Washington supported the treaty because it avoided war,{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=730}} although he was disappointed that its provisions favored Britain.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|p=340}} He mobilized public opinion and secured ratification{{sfnm|Estes|2000|1pp=409–420|Estes|2001|2p=127}} but faced frequent public criticism and political controversy.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|p=344}}<ref name=anb/> Following the British abandonment of their forts around the [[Great Lakes]], the proposed position of the [[Canada–United States border]] was sent to [[arbitration]]. Numerous pre-Revolution debts were settled and the British opened the [[British West Indies]] to American merchants. The agreement secured peace with Britain and a decade of prosperous trade; however, Jefferson claimed that it angered France and "invited rather than avoided" war.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|p=343}} Jefferson's claim was verified when relations with France deteriorated after the signing of the treaty, with the [[French Directory]] authorizing the seizure of American ships two days before Washington's term ended.{{sfn|Akers|2002|p=27}} Succeeding president John Adams was left with the prospect of war.{{sfnm|Grizzard|2005|1p=263|Lengel|2005|2p=357}} Relations with the Spanish were more successful: [[Thomas Pinckney]] negotiated the [[Treaty of San Lorenzo]] in 1795, settling the border between the United States and Spanish territory, and guaranteeing American navigational access to the [[Mississippi River]]<ref name=anb/>{{sfn|Nowlan|2014|p=55}}

On July 31, 1793, Jefferson submitted his resignation from cabinet.{{sfn|Cooke|2002|p=13}} Hamilton resigned from office in January 1795 and was replaced by [[Oliver Wolcott Jr.]] Washington's relationship with Secretary of War Henry Knox deteriorated over rumors that Knox had profited from contracts for the construction of U.S. frigates ostensibly commissioned to combat [[Barbary pirates]] under the [[Naval Act of 1794]]. Knox was forced to resign.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=713}}{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=726–727|Cooke|2002|2p=15}} In the final months of his presidency, Washington was assailed by his political foes and a partisan press who accused him of being ambitious and greedy. He came to regard the press as a disuniting force.{{sfnm|Randall|1997|1pp=491–492|Chernow|2010|2pp=752–754}} Washington also opposed demands by Congress to see papers related to the Jay Treaty, arguing that they were not "relative to any purpose under the cognizance of the House of Representatives, except that of an impeachment, which the resolution has not expressed."<ref name=anb/>