Thomas Barclay (1728-1793): Consul in France, Diplomat in Barbary"This is the first-ever biography of Thomas Barclay, the first American consul to serve the United States abroad and the man who, in 1786, successfully negotiated our first treaty with an Arab, African, or Muslim nation. It is the story of an Ulster-born immigrant building his fortune as a Philadelphia merchant in international trade, then losing it as he gives priority to his adopted country's fight to gain and build on independence. It tells how, after emigrating to Philadelphia in the 1760s, Barclay became a leading member of the Irish community, a successful merchant/ship owner, and political activist. This biography follows his move to France with his wife and three small children when the Continental Congress named him consul in 1781. There, before an American consular service existed, before Congress knew a consul from a consul general, Thomas Barclay did whatever was needed, wherever it was needed. To shipping, naval, and other tasks, Congress added an audit of American public expenditures in Europe since 1776. Then Jefferson and Adams added diplomacy in Barbary, where Barclay negotiated a rare tribute-free treaty of commerce and amity with the Sultan of Morocco. His personal relationships with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson reveal as much about them as about him. On assignment for President Washington in 1793, he became the first American diplomat to die in a foreign country in the service of the United States."--BOOK JACKET. |
Contents
23 | |
28 | |
43 | |
Help Wanted in France | 56 |
Introduction to Americas European Affairs | 74 |
Coping in Holland | 89 |
Welcome Back to France | 102 |
An Arduous Undertaking | 116 |
Return to France | 219 |
An Amicable Arrangement | 233 |
President Washingtons Envoy | 251 |
Epilogue | 266 |
Thomas Barclay Family Chart | 274 |
Sultan Sidi Muhammads August 27 1778 Declaration | 275 |
Captain James Erwins Morocco Experience | 278 |
Thomas Barclays Report on Morocco | 279 |
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Common terms and phrases
accounts Algiers American Amsterdam appointment April Archives arrived August Barbary Barclay and Mitchell Barclay's Beaumarchais Bordeaux Cadiz Captain cargo Carmichael Carsan colonies commerce Congress consul Continental correspondence corsairs December Diary diplomatic Emperor England English Etats-Unis Europe European February foreign France Franklin French & Nephew Holland ibid Irish James January John Adams John Jay John Ledyard July June Lafayette Lamb later Ledyard letter London Lorient Madrid March Marquis de Lafayette Marrakech Mary Barclay Matt Ridley Mawlay Mediterranean merchant minister mission Mogador months Moroccan Morocco Moylan Nantes negotiations Neufville November October Papers Paris peace Pennsylvania Gazette Philadelphia port received reported Ridley Robert Morris sailed sent September September 18 ships Sidi Muhammad Silas Deane Spain Spanish sultan Summerseat Tangier TB-AmComm TB-BF TB-RRL TB-TJ TB's Thomas Barclay Thomas Jefferson tion trade treaty United Vergennes vessels Virginia weeks William wrote