During the Revolutionary War, intrepid patriot envoys helped the fledgling United States obtain French aid and negotiate peace with Britain. As America's 250th birthday beckons, we might recall lessons from its earliest envoys that could help solve current diplomatic problems.
Recognizing the need for European aid to win independence, the Continental Congress sent five diplomats to Europe.
The most prominent was Benjamin Franklin. He played the lead role in cajoling and charming the French into providing large amounts of money and arms. A French naval fleet played a decisive role in defeating the redcoats at Yorktown. Franklin had 17 years of prior diplomatic experience as Pennsylvania's envoy to Great Britain.
The Congress initially sent two diplomats to join Franklin. Silas Deane, a merchant, procured arms and ammunition and enlisted foreign officers for military engineering roles. Arthur Lee, who lived in London, was a spy there. Franklin, Deane, and Lee negotiated the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France. But Deane and Lee became controversial and departed.
To replace them, Congress upgraded representation. John Adams, a future president, served as minister to France and secured a Dutch loan. John Jay, former president of the Second Continental Congress, was minister to Spain and later served in France. Franklin, Adams, and Jay negotiated the U.S.-British Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, ending the war.
Franklin and his colleagues played off the French-British rivalry. Franklin promised the French that America would not negotiate a separate peace with Britain but did just that. Exhausted, France only mildly objected to the Treaty of Paris.
Showing sensitivity to domestic politics, U.S. diplomats secured sought-after fishing and navigation rights. The Mississippi River became the western U.S. border, and Americans could navigate its length. They also won the right to fish off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
In victory, American envoys were gracious. Adams praised Jay for taking the lead with the British and convincing them that meeting American demands was more favorable than continuing the War. Jay and Adams lauded Franklin's relations with the French foreign minister. They helped smooth over the U.S. breach of the French Alliance. Franklin and Jay relied on the disciplined Adams to secure the essential Dutch loan.
How does this diplomacy offer lessons for today?
First, experienced envoys and political leaders—such as Franklin, Adams, and Jay—may have the best diplomatic skills. In recent decades, U.S. presidents of both parties have installed numerous campaign fundraising bundlers in ambassadorships, including to Canada, Greece, and the European Union. In today's uncertain times, the next U.S. president might be wise to break the mold and nominate only qualified ambassadors.
Second, diplomats ought to be replaced if they bring on undue controversy. In the modern era, some well-connected poor performers have harmed U.S. interests. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph P. Kennedy, who opposed U.S. aid to it as Hitler's forces threatened, is often cited as an example.
In today's uncertain times, the next U.S. president might be wise to break the mold and nominate only qualified ambassadors.
Third, a capable career officer assigned as deputy chief of mission can overcome many, but perhaps not all deficiencies of an unqualified ambassador. A foreign service officer eased U.S. burdens in a major European capital when an alcoholic ambassador misbehaved in public. At times, however, protecting U.S. interests may require top-level engagement with a status-conscious ruler.
Fourth, understanding foreign conditions is vital to diplomatic success. Franklin's long service in the United Kingdom helped him assess France's ambitions and wheedle more aid from the anti-British but nearly bankrupt King. As the Berlin Wall fell and the USSR collapsed, the large U.S. cadre of East European and Soviet experts helped Washington manage risks and smooth transitions to more democratic leaders.
Fifth, skilled and informed diplomats can better take the initiative to deal with urgent or vexing challenges. In 1995, the talented Richard Holbrooke cajoled parties to conclude the Dayton Accords, ending the Bosnia War after ethnic cleansing had claimed 300,000 victims. In 2014, diplomats familiar with the Middle East helped the United States bring together 87 states in the successful Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh (ISIS).
In the Revolutionary War, diplomacy was essential for U.S. survival. Adept diplomacy remains no less important to help our country navigate new risks and opportunities.
