1794

1794 was a year of sweeping political change, military conflict, and incomplete resolutions across the Atlantic world. The French Revolution continued to reshape governance, society, and international relations, while the United States and Britain moved toward a new set of arrangements.

In France, the National Convention extended revolutionary policies but began to move away from the most radical phase. On February 4, the convention voted to abolish slavery in all French colonies, a measure later reversed under Napoleon. Military successes, such as the Battle of Fleurus on June 26, expanded French control over the Austrian Netherlands. The year also marked the decline of the Reign of Terror, as the fall of Maximilien Robespierre in late July led to the Thermidorian Reaction and a shift toward a more conservative government.

In North America, diplomacy and conflict intertwine. The United States and Britain negotiated what would become the Jay Treaty, signed in 1794, aimed at resolving maritime disputes and easing tensions between the two nations. Domestically, the United States faced the Whiskey Rebellion in the western regions, which culminated in the suppression of the revolt by federal troops and affirmed federal authority.

In the Caribbean and Atlantic world, revolutionary ideals influenced colonial governance, with abolitionist measures instituted in French territories and ongoing struggles tied to enslaved and free populations.

Other notable developments included Eli Whitney's patent for the cotton gin in 1794, a technological advance with lasting economic impact, particularly for the American South. In North America, the Battle of Fallen Timbers in August 1794 resulted in a decisive U.S. victory over Native American confederacies and helped set the stage for subsequent territorial arrangements.