Foreign Affairs and the Founding Fathers: From Confederation to Constitution, 1776-1787

by Norman A. Graebner, Richard Dean Burns, Joseph M. Siracusa

Overview

This concise diplomatic history of the Confederation era is the first new work on the topic in a generation. In its pages, three distinguished diplomatic historians offer a realist interpretation of the way in which the Founding Fathers conducted foreign affairs, refreshing our collective memory about their priorities and their values.

When three of the nation's leading historians come together to fashion a fresh study of American history, the resulting work cannot help but be a monumental addition to the field. Foreign Affairs and the Founding Fathers: From Confederation to Constitution, 1776–1787 is such a work. These eminent scholars provide a thoughtful, realist interpretation of the Founders' view of America's place in the world, delivering a timely reassessment of their aspirations, thoughts, and actions during the seminal decades of the American nation.

This book takes readers backstage where they can eavesdrop on the Founders to better understand their motives and intentions and see how they responded to threats and problems associated with America's place in the world. Arguing that the Founding Fathers essentially thought and acted in terms of power—ranking matters of national interest and security over ideology and moral concerns—the book sheds new light on the foreign policy opportunities and challenges of the day, as the Founders weighed and determined them. In so doing, it offers important guideposts for our own time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798216086178
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	7 - 17 Years

About the Author

Norman A. Graebner, PhD, was emeritus professor at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Graebner was the author, coauthor, or editor of more than 30 books, including ABC-CLIO's America and the Cold War, 1941–1991: A Realist Interpretation, written with Richard Dean Burns and Joseph M. Siracusa. Graebner passed away in 2010 at the age of 94.

Richard Dean Burns, PhD, is professor emeritus at California State University, Los Angeles, CA. His published works include the internationally recognized Guide to American Foreign Relations since 1700 and ABC-CLIO's three-volume Encyclopedia of Arms Control and Disarmament.

Joseph M. Siracusa, PhD, is professor of human security and international diplomacy and associate dean of international and justice studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. His published works include ABC-CLIO's Reagan, Bush, Gorbachev: Revisiting the End of the Cold War.
Richard Dean Burns is professor emeritus of history at California State University, Los Angeles, CA. He is the coauthor/co-editor of 12 books, including Praeger's Reagan, Bush, Gorbachev: Revisiting the End of the Cold War and ABC-CLIO's Arms Control and Disarmament: A Bibliography.

Joseph M. Siracusa, PhD, is professor of human security and international diplomacy and associate dean of international and justice studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia.

Table of Contents

Preface
Prologue: The Challenge of External Relations
1. America Enters the International Community
2. The Challenge of Independence
3. American Diplomats Engage Britain and France
4. American Diplomats Engage the Barbary Pirates and Spain
5. The Crisis of 1786: Call for Constitutional Revision
6. External Relations and the Constitution, 1787
7. The Ratification Debate: How Important Is Foreign Policy?
Epilogue
Notes
Selected References
Index

What People are Saying About This

Wilson D. Miscamble

"The distinguished trio of diplomatic historians—Norman Graebner, Richard Dean Burns, and Joseph Siracusa—bring their valued realist perspective and their penetrating insight to bear on the diplomacy of the Confederation era in this notable and accessible book. They demonstrate convincingly how important the disputes over external relations proved to be both in prompting the need for a new constitution and in shaping the contours of it."

Scott Kaufman

"An excellent account of the central role played by commerce in post-Revolution U.S. foreign policy and the debates that led to the Constitution. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the underpinnings of American government."

Ian J. Bickerton

"These highly informative, thought-provoking essays, based on the extensive records of the founding generation, are full of rich, little-known, details which are decidedly relevant in the twenty-first century. This outstanding, beautifully crafted, book should be read by all who care about the United States and its role in world affairs."

Thomas A. Schwartz

"Foreign Affairs and the Founding Fathers is a succinct and readable treatment of the complex issues and debates which surrounded the crafting of the Constitution’s approach to foreign affairs. Based on extensive research in primary sources, the authors illuminate clearly the struggle to reconcile the American belief in liberty and fear of centralized power with the need for a stronger central government to protect and assert the national interest in a hostile world. Readers wanting a clear and fair-minded understanding of the dilemmas the Founding Fathers faced, and the way they hoped for America to engage with the international community, should enthusiastically embrace this book."

Editorial Reviews

Foreign Affairs and the Founding Fathers is a short, wellwritten, and engaging narrative that uses the available primary sources to good effect. Based on early essays, lectures, and scholarly articles by the late, and prolific, historian Norman Graebner, this book introduces the reader to the key dilemmas, events, and proposed solutions to the vexing questions noted above. . . . this is a good, solid introduction to the diplomacy of the Confederation period.” —H-Diplo

“This first-rate study is a must acquisition for academic and public libraries. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.” —Choice

From the Publisher