When the United States Spoke French: Five Refugees Who Shaped a Nation - Hardcover

Furstenberg, Francois

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1594204411 ISBN 13: 9781594204418

Publisher: Penguin Pr, 2014

Synopsis

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; theoristreformer 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.

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Review:

"The Wall Street Journal" "[A] fascinating account of French involvement in the economic and cultural life of the young American Republic.... Mr. Furstenberg has the vision to encompass a broad pageant in this splendid book, which combines erudition and great flair.""Seattle Times" "Furstenberg opens a window into a lost world of glittering Philadelphian dinner parties, rough backwoodsmen speaking French and homesick emigres. It's a fascinating portrait of the diplomatic intrigue between France and England for power and position, with the United States displaying a disconcertingly astute aptitude for playing them off against each other. "When the United States Spoke French" is essential reading for understanding the complex relationship between France and the United States that, to this day, endures.""JHU Gazette" "A fascinating examination of the United States at a pivotal moment in history that is as broadly sweeping and narratively captivating as a historical novel.""Publishers Weekly" "A lush social and cultural history of French influences...riveting.""Kirkus Reviews" "Furstenberg expands the historical outlook of the 18th century's great upheavals and shows the global effects of the Enlightenment. The author studies five former members of the French Assemblee Constituante who became refugees in Philadelphia...Though they were here to escape and to advance their personal fortunes, along the way, they helped the young country survive...["When the United States Spoke French" is] a bright, absorbing account of a short period in history that still resounds today."

"The Wall Street Journal" [A] fascinating account of French involvement in the economic and cultural life of the young American Republic . Mr. Furstenberg has the vision to encompass a broad pageant in this splendid book, which combines erudition and great flair.""Seattle Times" "Furstenberg opens a window into a lost world of glittering Philadelphian dinner parties, rough backwoodsmen speaking French and homesick emigres. It s a fascinating portrait of the diplomatic intrigue between France and England for power and position, with the United States displaying a disconcertingly astute aptitude for playing them off against each other."When the United States Spoke French"is essential reading for understanding the complex relationship between France and the United States that, to this day, endures.""JHU Gazette" "A fascinating examination of the United States at a pivotal moment in history that is as broadly sweeping and narratively captivating as a historical novel. "Publishers Weekly" A lush social and cultural history of French influences riveting. "Kirkus Reviews" Furstenberg expands the historical outlook of the 18th century s great upheavals and shows the global effects of the Enlightenment. The author studies five former members of the French Assemblee Constituante who became refugees in Philadelphia Though they were here to escape and to advance their personal fortunes, along the way, they helped the young country survive...["When the United States Spoke French"is] a bright, absorbing account of a short period in history that still resounds today. "

The Wall Street Journal [A] fascinating account of French involvement in the economic and cultural life of the young American Republic . Mr. Furstenberg has the vision to encompass a broad pageant in this splendid book, which combines erudition and great flair."Seattle Times "Furstenberg opens a window into a lost world of glittering Philadelphian dinner parties, rough backwoodsmen speaking French and homesick emigres. It s a fascinating portrait of the diplomatic intrigue between France and England for power and position, with the United States displaying a disconcertingly astute aptitude for playing them off against each other.When the United States Spoke Frenchis essential reading for understanding the complex relationship between France and the United States that, to this day, endures."JHU Gazette "A fascinating examination of the United States at a pivotal moment in history that is as broadly sweeping and narratively captivating as a historical novel. Publishers Weekly A lush social and cultural history of French influences riveting. Kirkus Reviews Furstenberg expands the historical outlook of the 18th century s great upheavals and shows the global effects of the Enlightenment. The author studies five former members of the French Assemblee Constituante who became refugees in Philadelphia Though they were here to escape and to advance their personal fortunes, along the way, they helped the young country survive...[When the United States Spoke Frenchis] a bright, absorbing account of a short period in history that still resounds today. "

The Wall Street Journal "[A] fascinating account of French involvement in the economic and cultural life of the young American Republic.... Mr. Furstenberg has the vision to encompass a broad pageant in this splendid book, which combines erudition and great flair."Seattle Times "Furstenberg opens a window into a lost world of glittering Philadelphian dinner parties, rough backwoodsmen speaking French and homesick emigres. It's a fascinating portrait of the diplomatic intrigue between France and England for power and position, with the United States displaying a disconcertingly astute aptitude for playing them off against each other. When the United States Spoke French is essential reading for understanding the complex relationship between France and the United States that, to this day, endures."JHU Gazette "A fascinating examination of the United States at a pivotal moment in history that is as broadly sweeping and narratively captivating as a historical novel."Publishers Weekly "A lush social and cultural history of French influences...riveting."Kirkus Reviews "Furstenberg expands the historical outlook of the 18th century's great upheavals and shows the global effects of the Enlightenment. The author studies five former members of the French Assemblee Constituante who became refugees in Philadelphia...Though they were here to escape and to advance their personal fortunes, along the way, they helped the young country survive...[When the United States Spoke French is] a bright, absorbing account of a short period in history that still resounds today."

The Wall Street Journal -[A] fascinating account of French involvement in the economic and cultural life of the young American Republic.... Mr. Furstenberg has the vision to encompass a broad pageant in this splendid book, which combines erudition and great flair.-Seattle Times -Furstenberg opens a window into a lost world of glittering Philadelphian dinner parties, rough backwoodsmen speaking French and homesick emigres. It's a fascinating portrait of the diplomatic intrigue between France and England for power and position, with the United States displaying a disconcertingly astute aptitude for playing them off against each other. When the United States Spoke French is essential reading for understanding the complex relationship between France and the United States that, to this day, endures.-JHU Gazette -A fascinating examination of the United States at a pivotal moment in history that is as broadly sweeping and narratively captivating as a historical novel.-Publishers Weekly -A lush social and cultural history of French influences...riveting.-Kirkus Reviews -Furstenberg expands the historical outlook of the 18th century's great upheavals and shows the global effects of the Enlightenment. The author studies five former members of the French Assemblee Constituante who became refugees in Philadelphia...Though they were here to escape and to advance their personal fortunes, along the way, they helped the young country survive...[When the United States Spoke French is] a bright, absorbing account of a short period in history that still resounds today.-

About the Author:

François Furstenberg is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University. A native of Boston and Washington, D.C., he taught history for ten years in Montreal before returning to the United States, where he teaches and writes on a range of fields in early American history and the Atlantic world. He is the author of In the Name of the Father: Washington’s Legacy, Slavery, and the Making of a Nation, published by Penguin Press in 2006.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Pr
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1594204411
• ISBN 13: 9781594204418
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 498