THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY

Until the publication of this volume, there had been no work available for the historian concerning the role played by the American colonies in the diplomatic relations between the European powers. European historians will be grateful for this contribution. At the same time, American historians will be indebted to Professor Savelle since he has here systematically described the relations of the colonies vis-a-vis Europe and themselves. Relying heavily on the work of Francis Davenport for the first portion of his book, he chronicles the important treaties and international events from 1492 to 1763 in relation to America. While the mother countries were primarily responsible for the development of policies regarding the colonies, by the eighteenth century, the American colonists, represented by the royal governor, began to exert considerable influence on English expansion and commerce. It is unfortunate that the author, having undertaken research that will impress the most formidable scholar, did not go beyond fact into interpretation. The book raises interesting questions concerning the effect of this diplomacy on colonial unity before the Revolution as well as its effect on subsequent diplomacy. It will remain a valuable reference work but, written from a purely factual framework, will have little influence in creating new intellectual trends among diplomatic historians.