Edmond‑Charles Genêt
1763 – 1834
Edmond-Charles Genêt, known as Citizen Genêt, was a French envoy to the United States during the early 1790s, sent by the revolutionary government of France.
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Born into a diplomatic family, Genêt arrived in 1793 with the mission of rallying American support for France’s war against Britain and its allies. His controversial attempts to recruit privateers and organize military expeditions from U.S. soil—without federal approval—violated American neutrality and sparked a major diplomatic crisis.
Genêt’s actions deeply embarrassed President George Washington’s administration and contributed to the broader debate over executive power and foreign policy, culminating in the famous Pacificus-Helvidius Debates. Facing recall and likely execution back in France during the Reign of Terror, Genêt sought asylum in the United States, which Washington granted. He spent the rest of his life in relative quiet in upstate New York.
