"As the situation with France became more fraught and diplomacy no longer an option, Congress
was faced with the difficult choice. Never before had the American Republic been faced with such
a situation and although some called for war, it was not the prevailing opinion. The first step was
to suspend all political ties, trade, and diplomatic exchange with the revolutionary state. Second,
Congress passed and President Adams signed into law ‘An Act to Further Protect the Commerce
of the United States’ on July 9, 17898, officially beginning the Quasi War. This legislation allowed
American merchants and warships of the nascent Navy to seize armed French ships anywhere in
the world in an effort to protect American commerce. Military action against traditional, unarmed
French ships was prohibited. Despite the aggression of France, Congress opted against a formal
declaration of war, instead choosing to steer the United States into a grey area of conflict;
lawmakers likely realized that an open war with France would have been devastating to the young
Republic, as it would have probably involved the Dutch and the Spanish. While the Quasi War
was a conflict primarily fought on the sea, however, land battles occurred every now and then. The
most well known example occurred at Puerto Plata Harbor in what is now the Dominican Republic,
when American forces on board the USS Constitution captured a French privateer and rendered
the local fort’s guns unusable. More importantly for American military lore, it represents the first
deployment of U.S. Marines on foreign soil."