This whole subject is extraordinarily important to understand, especially when answering those who CLAIM that US Founding Fathers were isolationists, non-interventionists, non-internationalists, turn-the-other cheek-ists, "a million for tribute, nothing for defense-ists," no foreign alliances-ists (note that a proto-NATO was Jefferson's FIRST choice solution), etc., etc.
It's all just not true. What IS true is that our Founding Fathers, whenever and however they could, TOOK CARE OF BUSINESS.