Jeffersons duties in France involved the negotiation of
commercial treaties with several European powers. Fortunately,
he was not alone in this difficult task, having been preceded by
elder statesmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, with whom Jefferson
now joined ranks. Because of the decentralized federal government under
the Articles of Confederation (See
the Articles of Confederation SparkNote), even this
most formidable American triumvirate could find little success
in their skillful negotiations.
Many European powers viewed the United States as a rebellious splinter
from the British Empire that was bound to fold before it ever prospered.
Such an opinion was in part supported by the fact that fully 85
percent of goods for sale or trade in the United States continued
to flow in from Britain. Nevertheless, Jefferson and company enjoyed
a significant victory in 1785 when they secured a treaty with Frederick
the Great of Prussia. This opened up the floodgates for further
talks among lesser European sovereignties, such as Denmark and
Tuscany.
Just over a year after arriving in Paris, Jefferson found
himself as the sole remaining United States minister to France.
Adams was given a new assignment in Britain, where an already
tense relationship was flagging. Franklin, approaching eighty,
had decided to retire after a long and illustrious decade in France.
Jefferson was quite mindful of his debt to Franklin. When asked
if he had been tabbed as Franklins replacement, Jefferson replied,
No, sir, I succeed him; no one can replace him.
Though modest in dress, Jefferson was impressive in deportment,
and quickly rose from an unknown diplomat to a much sought-after
member of Parisian society. Despite his financial constraints,
he eventually took up residence in a splendid villa on the Champs-Elysees,
complete with stables and an extensive garden featuring American
crops such as corn, sweet potatoes, and watermelons. He placed
his daughter Patsy in a convent school, and arranged French cooking
lessons for his slave James Hemings.
Even as social commitments occupied large spaces of Jeffersons time,
there were also diplomatic matters to attend to. An especial frustration
was found in the tyranny of the North African principalities such
as Morocco, Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis, who demanded exorbitant
tribute monies just as they endeavored to imprison American sailors.
While Jefferson saw this as an occasion to increase the naval
power of the United States, Congress remained reluctant to centralize
power in such an aggressive fashion. In time, Jefferson worked
out a treaty with Morocco to free several prisoners and suspend
all tribute demands. However, this success was not replicated
in discussions with the other North African powers, who continued
to plague the United States for decades.
To complicate matters, the British insurance firms insisted
on steep premiums for American freighters bound for the Mediterranean,
even after Jeffersons treaty with Morocco. And while Jefferson
eventually worked out a commercial treaty with France, Adams continued
to struggle in his efforts with Britain. Thinking to help Adams,
Jefferson traveled to London in the spring of 1786, but both men
were thoroughly spurned in their efforts to negotiate with King
George III. For Jefferson, the trip was salvaged by an extensive
tour of the English countryside, where he saw many of the most famous
state mansions and landscape gardens of the day. These visits
only served to reconfirm his commitment to the principles of classical
architecture.
