Jay Treaty , or Jay ’s Treaty , a treaty negotiate and sign in 1794 by John Jay , United States special envoy extraordinary , and Lord William Grenville , British strange writing table , to nail down mutual grievances . Britain was at warfare with revolutionary France . The United States was neutral despite its confederation with France dating from the American Revolutionary War .
Britain agreed to empty military and trading posts in the Northwest Territory that it was holding in rape of the peacefulness terms of 1783 . Four joint commissions were created to resolve boundary contravention and money claims . Britain made some commercial-grade concessions toward free trade with the United States . The United States jibe not to allow Gallic privateersman to seek resort and supply in its harbors . Both Carry Nation declared their support for free navigation on the Mississippi River .
Public opinion in the United States was scandalise by the treaty . Jay had not challenge British impress ( forcible enlistment into naval service ) of United States merchant sailors , nor had he gotten Britain to agree to tell apart the rights of neutrals during wartime . Jeffersonian Republicans argued that the pact violated the Franco - American alliance . After heated disputation , the Senate ratify the Jay Treaty in 1795 , by the bare two - thirds suffrage necessary .
Most historians believe that the terms , though far from idealistic , were the well potential . The Jay Treaty foreclose warfare with Britain and brought prosperity to merchandiser . It also led to the Pinckney Treaty with Spain , granting spare navigation on the Mississippi . ( The Spanish hoped to improve relations with the United States , fearing a joint Anglo - American attack on Spain ’s colony in North America . ) relation back between the United States and France , however , worsened .
