When the United States spoke French : five refugees who shaped a nation / François Furstenberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Furstenberg, François.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

France--History--Revolution, 1789-1799--Refugees.

France.

Political refugees--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--History--18th century.

Political refugees.

French--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--History--18th century.

French.

Political refugees--France--History--18th century.

Philadelphia (Pa.)--Social conditions--18th century.

Philadelphia (Pa.).

Aristocracy (Social class)--France--History--18th century.

Aristocracy (Social class).

Refugees.

Social conditions.

Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

Genre:

Narrative non-fiction.

History.

Physical Description:

498 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : The Penguin Press, 2014.

Summary:

"In 1789, as the French Revolution shook Europe to the core, the new United States was struggling for survival in the face of financial insolvency and bitter political and regional divisions. When the United States Spoke French explores the republic's formative years from the viewpoint of a distinguished circle of five Frenchmen taking refuge in America. When the French Revolution broke out, these men had been among its leaders. They were liberal aristocrats and ardent Anglophiles, convinced of the superiority of the British system of monarchy and constitution. They also idealized the new American republic, which seemed to them an embodiment of the Enlightenment ideals they celebrated. But soon the Revolutionary movement got ahead of them, and they found themselves chased across the Atlantic. François Furstenberg follows these five men -- Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Napoleon's future foreign minister; theorist/reformer Rochefoucauld, the duc de Liancourt; Louis-Marie Vicomte de Noailles; Moreau de Saint-Méry; and Constantin-François Chasseboeuf, Comte Volney -- as they left their homes and families in France, crossed the Atlantic, and landed in Philadelphia -- then America's capital, its principal port, and by far its most cosmopolitan city and the home of the wealthiest merchants and financiers. The book vividly reconstructs their American adventures, following along as they integrated themselves into the city and its elite social networks, began speculating on backcountry lands, and eventually became enmeshed in Franco-American diplomacy. Through their stories, we see some of the most famous events of early American history in a new light, from the diplomatic struggles of the 1790s to the Haitian Revolution to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. By the end of this period, the United States was on its way to becoming a major global power. Through this small circle of men, we find new ways to understand the connections between U.S. and world history, and gain fresh insight into American history's most critical era. Beautifully written and brilliantly argued, When the United States Spoke French offers a fresh perspective on the tumultuous years of the young nation, when the first great republican experiments were put to the test"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Strange reunions : an introduction

PART I. THE UNITED STATES SPEAKS FRENCH

France comes to America

Settling in America : Philadelphia speaks French

Franco-American networks and polite Atlantic spaces

PART II. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IN THE WEST

Trans-Atlantic land speculation

France in the Mississippi Valley

The émigrés return to France, France returns to America

Conclusion : empty houses.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

The Balch Ethnic Studies Collection.

The de la Roche French North America Collection.

ISBN:

9781594204418

1594204411

OCLC:

881146234

Publisher Number:

40023904680