Promotional Information

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.

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

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.

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*