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August 30 |
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The American Revolution in Hemispheric Affairs |
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John Jay. As minister of foreign affairs, he consummated the Revolutionary War alliance with Spain. Later, in 1786, he negotiated the Jay-Gardoqui Treaty, which sought to make the alliance more permanent but was rejected by the Senate. |
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We start with a difficult assignment--so have some patience. The Liss book presents a very important argument, namely, that cultural, economic, and even some political and military interaction among the peoples of the Western Hemisphere preceded the nations' actual independence. Before you start it, sample these reading notes. |
Secondary Reading:
Peggy Liss, Atlantic Empires, pp. 26-47, 105-126.
Document:
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
1.) For the Paine reading, ask yourself only one question: what type of foreign policy did the author of this pamphlet envision for the United States?