* see [[American foreign policy]]
[[File:Gilbert-Stuart 1795 Washington-portrait.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|[[George Washington]] ]]
President [[George Washington]] called on Americans in his Farewell Address in 1796:
:"Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice? It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.... we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies."