Jonah Patel
Diplomacy played a critical role in the Revolutionary War. Before the war, the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain attempted to resolve their disputes peacefully within the British political system. However, once the war began, both sides engaged in foreign diplomacy to advance their goals. The Continental Congress sent diplomats to Europe, most notably Benjamin Franklin, who played a crucial role in securing French support and convincing France to recognize American independence. The Americans also sought support from Spain and Russia, while the British focused on containing diplomatic overtures and leveraging relations with Native American tribes and German states. The outcome of the war was influenced by these diplomatic efforts, as France's support and the resulting alliance with the United States led to significant military and financial assistance for the Americans. Ultimately, diplomacy was essential for the survival of the fledgling United States and the achievement of its primary objective: political and diplomatic independence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Importance of diplomacy in the Revolutionary War | Essential for U.S. survival |
| American strategy | Securing assistance from Britain's enemies, France and Spain |
| British strategy | Containment of American diplomatic efforts, leveraging relations with Native American tribes and German states |
| American diplomats | Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Silas Deane, Arthur Lee |
| British diplomats | Lord North, Sir Henry Clinton, Vice-Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot |
| American objectives | Political and diplomatic independence, support for the civil government |
| British objectives | Maintain European neutrality, bring "revolting colonists" back into line |
| Outcome | American independence, formation of a stronger union of the states |
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What You'll Learn
The Committee of Secret Correspondence
Diplomacy was central to the outcome of the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress, recognising the need for European aid to win independence from Great Britain, established the Committee of Secret Correspondence in November 1775. The committee was created for "the sole purpose of corresponding with our friends in Great Britain and other parts of the world", and to garner international support and clandestine aid.
The Committee coordinated diplomatic functions for the Continental Congress and directed transatlantic communication and public relations. They also employed secret agents abroad to gain foreign intelligence, conducted undercover operations, started American propaganda campaigns to gain patriot support, analysed foreign publications to gain additional intelligence, and developed a maritime unit separate from the Navy.
In late 1775, a mysterious French traveller named Achard de Bonvouloir arrived in Philadelphia. He had been sent by the French government to make contact with the Continental Congress, but publicly denied this. The committee made contact with him, and Franklin convinced Bonvouloir that the colonies were seeking independence and were unlikely to reconcile with Britain. Bonvouloir returned to France and shared his discoveries, leading the French government to agree to provide secret aid to the colonies.
The Committee also corresponded with Arthur Lee in London, and after Congress appointed them in the fall of 1776, with commissioners in France. Lee had come into contact with the French playwright Beaumarchais, who was working as a secret French agent investigating British troubles in the colonies. Beaumarchais was provided with information about American successes, which influenced the French Foreign Minister to provide the colonies with clandestine shipments of gunpowder and war materiel.
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Benjamin Franklin's diplomacy in France
Diplomacy played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War, with the United States recognizing the need for European aid to win independence from Britain. In this context, Benjamin Franklin's diplomatic achievements in France were pivotal. Franklin, who had 17 years of prior diplomatic experience as Pennsylvania's envoy to Great Britain, was named an agent of a diplomatic commission by the Continental Congress in September 1776. The following month, he set sail from Philadelphia for France, with the goal of negotiating and securing a formal alliance and treaty.
Franklin's popularity in France, where he was celebrated in scientific and literary circles, bolstered support for the American cause. He spent the next year cultivating relationships with influential officials, all while continuing to push for a formal alliance. Franklin's diplomatic efforts in France centred around three key achievements. Firstly, he played a lead role in securing the 1778 alliance with France, which was essential for the military and diplomatic success of the American War of Independence. Franklin and his colleagues leveraged the French-British rivalry, with Franklin promising that America would not negotiate a separate peace with Britain, a promise he later broke.
The second key achievement was the 1783 peace treaty, which confirmed American independence. The third was raising vast sums of money, largely on credit, from the French royal government. This sum was so large that the burden of paying it off led directly to the decision by King Louis XVI to convene the estates general, which had not been convened since the time of his grandfather, Louis XIII. This eventually led to the French Revolution, an unintended consequence of Franklin's actions.
Franklin's diplomatic technique was characterized by his understanding that it was important to advance diplomacy in a way that was accommodating to the society one was operating in. Rather than taking a direct approach, he believed in wandering around the floor, sometimes in the opposite direction, to eventually reach the centre of things. This approach proved successful in the context of French high society, where his charm and popularity played a significant role in achieving his diplomatic goals.
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The role of envoys in gaining French support
The American Revolution saw the fledgling United States recognise the need for European aid to win independence from Britain. Envoys played a crucial role in securing French support, which proved decisive in the conflict.
In March 1776, Silas Deane was sent to France as a covert agent, ostensibly as a merchant seeking goods to buy for resale to Native Americans. Deane's real mission was to secure military engineers, clothing, arms and ammunition for 25,000 soldiers. Deane was followed in December 1776 by Benjamin Franklin, who was tasked with leading the diplomatic effort. Franklin's prior diplomatic experience and popularity in France proved invaluable. He played a lead role in cajoling and charming the French into providing large amounts of money and arms.
Franklin and his colleagues played off the French-British rivalry, with Franklin promising the French that America would not negotiate a separate peace with Britain. This proved to be a false promise, but France only mildly objected to the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war. The French were exhausted, and their objections were smoothed over by American envoys.
The Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, signed in 1778, formalised the relationship between the French and the Americans. This led to a surge in the flow of supplies, as well as soldiers and sailors crossing the Atlantic to fight for the American cause. Approximately 12,000 French soldiers and 22,000 naval personnel served the rebellion, and a French naval fleet played a decisive role in defeating the British at Yorktown.
The support of France was critical to the American cause. It helped to leave the British with no allies during the conflict and proved that adept diplomacy was essential for U.S. survival.
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The importance of European aid
The American Revolutionary War was a conflict between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain, which had significant international dimensions. The war was not just fought on American soil but also in the courts of Europe, where both sides sought support from foreign powers. The United States' primary objective was to gain diplomatic recognition and establish its independence. To achieve this, it needed to secure European aid, particularly from France and Spain, the two major powers on the continent.
The Continental Congress played a crucial role in this endeavour, establishing the Committee of Secret Correspondence in November 1775, which acted as a de facto foreign ministry. The committee's primary goal was to garner international support and clandestine aid for the American cause. The Congress also sent five diplomats to Europe, including Benjamin Franklin, who played a pivotal role in securing French assistance. Franklin's diplomatic skills and popularity, combined with American battlefield successes, convinced France to support the American war effort financially and militarily.
The American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 was a significant turning point, as it led to the Treaty of Alliance with France in February 1778. This treaty was the first and only alliance established by the United States until the 20th century. France's support forced the British to fight on multiple fronts, stretching their resources thin and ultimately contributing to their surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
The United States also sought support from other European powers, such as Spain and Russia. John Jay, the President of the Continental Congress, was appointed as a minister to the Spanish Court in 1779, tasked with obtaining Spanish support and recognition of American independence. While Spain secretly agreed to join France in fighting the British, they fell short of recognising American independence. Meanwhile, the Continental Congress sent Francis Dana to Russia in 1781, aiming to convince Catherine II to recognise American independence and join the League of Armed Neutrality.
The diplomatic efforts of the Continental Congress and its envoys were crucial in securing European aid, particularly from France, which played a decisive role in the American victory at Yorktown. These diplomatic manoeuvres helped the United States gain the support it needed to counter Great Britain's strategic, military, and manpower advantages. Ultimately, the success of American diplomacy during the Revolutionary War was a key factor in achieving its independence and shaping the geopolitical landscape of the time.
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The Peace Commission
The role of diplomacy in the Revolutionary War was crucial for the survival of the fledgling United States. Before the war, the colonies dispatched agents to London to handle extra-colonial relations, and the Continental Congress established a Committee of Correspondence in 1772. However, once open hostilities began, the war took on an international dimension, and American diplomacy focused on securing assistance from Britain's enemies, France and Spain, to counter Britain's military and manpower advantages.
In this context, the Peace Commission, also known as the Carlisle Peace Commission, was a group of British peace commissioners sent to North America in 1778 to negotiate terms with the rebellious Continental Congress. The commission offered a type of self-rule, including parliamentary representation within the British Empire, but the Continental Congress insisted on full independence, which the commission was not authorised to grant. The Peace Commission marked the first time that the British government formally agreed to negotiate with Congress.
The commissioners, led by the Earl of Carlisle, circulated a manifesto and attempted to appeal to public opinion, but they were unsuccessful. They faced opposition from figures such as Thomas Paine and Gouverneur Morris, who wrote essays against the British proposals. The commission ultimately failed to reach an agreement, and the British resumed their military campaign, turning to a Southern Strategy as their next attempt to win the war.
In 1781, Congress appointed a new Peace Commission, including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay, to negotiate an end to the war. This commission engaged in formal negotiations with the British, and on November 30, 1782, preliminary Articles of Peace were signed, with Britain accepting American independence and resolving issues such as fishing rights.
The work of these Peace Commissions highlights the critical role of diplomacy in the Revolutionary War, shaping the outcome of the conflict and the future of the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
Diplomacy was essential for the U.S. to survive the Revolutionary War. Before the war, the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain attempted to resolve their disputes peacefully. However, once the war began, both sides engaged in foreign diplomacy to further their goals. The U.S. needed European support to win, and France and Spain saw this as an opportunity to reshape the balance of power in Europe.
Benjamin Franklin played a critical role in the Revolutionary War. In October 1776, he sailed to France to lead the diplomatic effort and successfully convinced France to recognize American independence and provide large amounts of money and arms. Franklin's efforts resulted in a Treaty of Alliance with France in February 1778.
The diplomatic efforts during the Revolutionary War led to the formation of alliances and the recognition of American independence. The United States obtained French aid and negotiated peace with Britain. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 officially ended the war, and the United States achieved its major objective of political and diplomatic independence.
