This is a comprehensive study of the peace negotiations that ended the War of American Independence. It challenges traditional views and uses a wide range of sources to provide a detailed analysis of the treaties signed between Britain and France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States. The book shows that American independence, rather than being the important issue of the negotiations, was consistently subordinated to European balance of power considerations. It demonstrates the importance of personality and popular prejudice in determining foreign policy, and insights are offered into ... More

This is a comprehensive study of the peace negotiations that ended the War of American Independence. It challenges traditional views and uses a wide range of sources to provide a detailed analysis of the treaties signed between Britain and France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States. The book shows that American independence, rather than being the important issue of the negotiations, was consistently subordinated to European balance of power considerations. It demonstrates the importance of personality and popular prejudice in determining foreign policy, and insights are offered into the personalities and objectives of the leading political figures of the time, including George III, Louis XVI, Benjamin Franklin, Lords Shelburne, Grantham and North, Charles James Fox, the Comte de Vergennes, John Jay, John Adams, Catherine the Great, and Frederick the Great. The result is a study of eighteenth-century diplomatic and political history that overturns previously established views.