Final answer:
American opinion on France turned sour following the radical phase of the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, and the subsequent Quasi-War. Federalists viewed the revolution's violence as anarchy, threatening the stability of the U.S., while the Democratic-Republicans supported the French cause.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American public turned against France after initially supporting the French Revolution due to a series of complex political and ideological shifts. The French Revolution began just as the new American government took shape in 1789, and while the initial overthrow of the French monarchy was celebrated in the United States, the subsequent radical phase, including the Reign of Terror, caused a division of opinion.
The Federalists saw the events in France as descending into chaos and the acts of violence against the monarchy as a threat to the stability of their own nation, prompting fear that the same kind of violent rebellion could occur in America. This was contrasted by the Democratic-Republicans who viewed the revolution as the continuation of the fight against tyranny and monarchism, a battle in which they saw themselves spiritually aligned.
This growing tension was escalated by the French war against Great Britain in February 1793, and further strained when France requested the repayment of loans given to the US during the Revolutionary War. Neutrality was declared by Washington, which disappointed the French and angered the Democratic-Republican faction that supported them. The emerging conflict and the formation of the Quasi-War ultimately embittered many Americans against France, a sentiment that was manipulated by domestic political forces, leading to an increase in partisan politics and the adoption of measures like the Alien and Sedition Acts to target French sympathizers and suppress the opposition press.