Mr. Jay's treaty [which reestablished trade and diplomatic relations between the United States and Great Britain following the Revolutionary War] has at length been made public. So general a burst of dissatisfaction never before appeared against any transaction. Those who understand the particular articles of it, condemn these articles. Those who do not understand them minutely, condemn it generally as wearing a hostile face to France. This last is the most numerous class, comprehending the whole body of the people, who have taken a greater interest in this transaction than they were ever known to do in any other. It has in my opinion completely demolished the monarchical party here."
Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Monroe, September 6, 1795
Thomas Jefferson's reaction to the Jay Treaty as expressed in the letter was most directly a reflection of ongoing debates in the United States over
