The John Jay Treaty resolved many issues between Britain and America. John Jay’s history and past accomplishments were important as well as his treaty. The Jay Treaty was greatly needed in the early days of America.

John Jay played a vital part in the history of America. He was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, Founding Father, president of the Continental Congress, Chief Justice, and Ambassador to Spain and France. He fashioned foreign policy, composed a treaty with the British and French, co-wrote the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, was a leader of a Federalist party, Governor of New York, and was against slavery. John Jay was a very important man.

John Jay had worked his way up from an average citizen to a very important business man. He graduated from King’s College law course. Because of his many other political accomplishments, he was given the task of drafting a treaty. America had difficulty during its early years and wanted to keep the peace with the nations overseas to prevent bloodshed. John Jay had issued a treaty with the French, and now America needed a treaty with the British.

The British were unlawfully prohibiting traffic from America overseas and were enslaving American sailors. The British were inhabiting forts that were built in America during the war. The British had problems because some Americans had not repaid debts they owed Britain before the Revolutionary War. The British were also concerned with the treatment of the Tories (Pro-Brits) that were left in the U.S. America had to act. John Jay readily composed a treaty that would resolve the problems. The debt collection was solved by organizing two parties--one British, one American--that would meet at a designated time and resolve the amount that Americans owed British merchants, and that the British government owed America for capturing U.S. merchant ships and for taking the sailors captive after searching the ships for anything valuable. The Tories were treated better. The British agreed in the treaty to move out of the invaded forts by June of 1796. The U.S. agreed not to discriminate British shipping, and in return, Britain permitted the shipment of cargo to the East Indies and restricted trade with the West Indies. Later, upon American insistence, the British allowed full trade with the West Indies. The American treaty with the British was ratified.

The Jay Treaty was perhaps the most valuable treaty in the post-war history of America, and the highlight of John Jay’s political career. John Jay was a crucial figure in American politics. The Jay Treaty was an attempt at preventing another full-scale war between Britain and America and caused America to be esteemed as a vigilant country who was prepared to safeguard her people, territories, and interests. Though later continued British affronts against America’s shipping, sailors, and interference with American Indians caused the War of 1812, America showed she had the force to enforce her treaties’ terms.