1824 James Monroe - Freedom of Commerce

 If there were ever one family who deserved more credit than any other for defining early American foreign policy it would be father and son, John Adams and John Quincy Adams.  They were the  founding fathers of "Freedom of Commerce".  In 1824, President James Monroe touted that under his administration, and secretary of State John Quincy Adams, America was returning back to the policies of free and reciprocal trade as defined by the principle, Freedom of Commerce.

In 1778, during the American Revolution, John Adams drafted a commercial treaty between France and the colonies of the United States which was used by Benjamin Franklin, to seek a treaty with France.  The treaty sought reciprocal trade relations and "most favored nation" status with France.   After some delay, and after rumors that British had sent secret peace offers to Franklin,  France finally agreed to begin negotiations that led to the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance.  With these treaties, France officially recognized the United States as an independent nation.  In the following year, John Adams was then appointed “Minister Plenipotentiary for negotiating a Treaty of Peace and a Treaty of Commerce with Great Britain”  and sailed to Paris to for negotiations.  Later, John Adams was appointed as Minister to the Netherlands, and Court of St. James before returning home to be the first Vice President and second President of the United States.

While his father was still Vice President, John Quincy Adams got his first appointment as minster to the Netherlands, and then as Minister to Prussia where he successfully renewed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the King of Prussia. By time John Quincy Adams became Secretary of State under James Monroe, he had a wealth of diplomatic experience including minister of Russia and Great Britain as well as being the key negotiator in many treaties including the Treaty of Ghent.   Under the leadership of John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State and then President, American foreign Policy was established based on the following principles:

1. Self determination  - Nations which gained independence, or wished to gain independence should be recognized as sovereign and independent peoples, free from the ties of European imperialism.  Non-colonization - Under John Quincy Adams, the United States would call for no further European colonization in the new World.
2. Non-intervention - As defined in the Monroe Doctrine, America would stay out of European conflicts.  The United States would be "hands-off". 
3. Non-entanglement - United States would stay out of European politics.  The U.S. would neither join nor discourage others to join the European alliances such as the Holy alliance or quintuple alliance.  
4. Freedom of the Seas -  John Quincy Adams fought his whole life for American independence on not only the Seas, but also international rivers and waterways.
5. Freedom of commerce -  The United States would demand reciprocal equality without discriminating duties in foreign ports or  on foreign vessels.   John Quincy Adams was a consistent and outspoken champion of both Freedom of the Seas and Freedom of commerce.

Adams not only defined these principles, but he worked through the executive and legislative branches to make them prevail.  Some of them did not prevail until years later, but much of the credit still belongs to John Quincy Adams. So, it is no wonder that in President James Monroe's final State of the Union Address, he was singing the praises of the Adams family and the accomplishments of his Secretary of State.  There is no doubt, John Quincy Adams either helped or wrote the words himself.  In 1824, Monroe touted the fact that under his administration, American commerce was brought back to it's origins of free and equal reciprocity with all foreign nations.  One that had it's origins in the Treaty of Alliance 1778 with France during the American Revolution. A treaty that was written by John Adams.  The U.S. was returning back to the same principles which were so well illustrated in the first U.S. treaty with Prussia renewed by his son John Quincy Adams. The Freedom of Commerce as a principle had become the backbone of American foreign policy, not only of his administration, but of Congress.  Monroe took this opportunity to remind them of an act passed immediately after the War of 1812.  On March 3, 1815 Congress passed an act to repeal discriminatory duties on the tonnage of ships importing goods into the U.S.   Some of these duties had returned against countries like France over the years, but just months earlier in 1823, Congress repealed those as well.   The United States had returned to the principle of "commercial relations" based on "free and equal reciprocity" established by John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams. 

"Our commerce with Sweden has been placed on a footing of perfect reciprocity by treaty, and with Russia, the Netherlands, Prussia, the free Hanseatic cities, the Dukedom of Oldenburg, and Sardinia by internal regulations on each side, founded on mutual agreement between the respective Governments.

The principles upon which the commercial policy of the United States is founded are to be traced to an early period. They are essentially connected with those upon which their independence was declared, and owe their origin to the enlightened men who took the lead in our affairs at that important epoch. They are developed in their first treaty of commerce with France of [1778-02-06], and by a formal commission which was instituted immediately after the conclusion of their Revolutionary struggle, for the purpose of negotiating treaties of commerce with every European power. The first treaty of the United States with Prussia, which was negotiated by that commission, affords a signal illustration of those principles. The act of Congress of [1815-03-03], adopted immediately after the return of a general peace, was a new overture to foreign nations to establish our commercial relations with them on the basis of free and equal reciprocity. That principle has pervaded all the acts of Congress and all the negotiations of the Executive on the subject."  

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29466
Main Achievements of American Presidents, Heinz-Dietrich Fischer (2013) pgs. 67-70
https://millercenter.org/president/adams/foreign-affairs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Alliance_(1778)
http://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2016/02/1800-john-adams-treaty-with-king-of.html