The Deane-Lee Affair A Political Scandal and its effects on a Developing Nation

Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Harvey, David

Keywords

Deane, Silas, Lee, Arthur, Deane-Lee Scandal, 'American Revolution, Diplomacy'

Area of Concentration

History

Abstract

In the opening years of the American Revolution a scandal arose involving American procurement officer Silas Deane. His problems brought to light diplomatic stumbles resulting from American inexperience and were a catalyst for broad changes in American foreign policy, yet little has been written about his life. While the body of work on the subject is limited, combining the scholarship on revolutionary diplomacy with primary sources from the period brings to light the significance of the scandal. This research leads to the conclusion that as a direct result of the accusations against Deane, American foreign affairs were altered and the French were able to capitalize on American weaknesses. While much has been written about the revolutionary era, the Deane-Lee scandal has often been overlooked, leaving a major episode in the development of American government hitherto unexplored.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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