This truly transnational history reveals the important role of Americans abroad in
the Age of Revolution, as well as providing an early example of the limits of American influence on
other nations. From the beginning of the French Revolution to its end at the hands of Napoleon,
American cosmopolitans like Thomas Jefferson, Gouverneur Morris, Thomas Paine, Joel Barlow, and
James Monroe drafted constitutions, argued over violent means and noble ends, confronted sudden
regime changes, and negotiated diplomatic crises such as the XYZ Affair and the Louisiana Purchase.
Eager to report on what they regarded as universal political ideals and practices, Americans again
and again confronted the particular circumstances of a foreign nation in turmoil. In turn, what they
witnessed in Paris caused these prominent Americans to reflect on the condition and prospects of
their own republic. Thus, their individual stories highlight overlooked parallels between the
nation-building process in both France and America, and the two countries' common struggle to
reconcile the rights of man with their own national identities.
Copyright:
2010
Book Details
Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9780813928982
Related ISBNs:
9780813928913
Publisher:
University of Virginia Press
Date of Addition:
08/19/15
Copyrighted By:
the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia