World War I: The @StateDept asks for Marines as diplomatic couriers. Armed Marines in civilian clothes escort every sack of diplomatic and confidential dispatches between the U.S. and American missions across Europe.

history.state.gov/departmenthist…

Before Commodore Perry's mission to open relations with Japan, Marines rehearsed their drill on the U.S. Capitol lawn. In 1854, they performed it for Japan's commissioners, who praised their "soldierly air." Japan's reply: a troupe of sumo wrestlers.

history.state.gov/departmenthist…

1778: Diplomat John Adams sails to forge a French alliance. When the Boston meets a heavily armed British ship, Adams is ordered below deck. When it surrenders, the captain finds him with the Marines, musket in hand: "I ought to do my share of fighting."

history.state.gov/departmenthist…

No permanent allies. No permanent enemies. Only permanent interests. President George Washington’s Sept. 19, 1796, Farewell Address, published in newspapers across the country, made the case for American independence above all else in foreign affairs. Washington promoted the idea should not have permanent allies or enemies on the international stage, only permanent interests, with the goal of preserving American independence.

#USHistory #ForeignPolicy

Since 1775, Marines and U.S. diplomats have served side by side, from protecting envoys at sea to guarding embassies worldwide. As George Shultz, Marine veteran and Secretary of State, put it: "Strength and diplomacy go together. They need each other."

history.state.gov/departmenthist…

What did the U.S. urgently need in 1795? Access to the Mississippi River. Thomas Pinckney delivered — negotiating the Treaty of San Lorenzo with the Spanish Government. On Oct. 27, 1795, the U.S. and Spain signed Pinckney’s Treaty — securing American navigation rights on the fying commercial relations, and resolving bitter territorial disputes that had shadowed the young republic.

#USHistory #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy

After peace with Britain had been established and independence secured, the United States began to extend its territory westward, bringing it into conflict with native Indian tribes. Gen. Anthony Wayne — soldier turned diplomat — negotiated the Treaty of Greenville in 1795 to end e land around the Great Lakes region for U.S. settlement.

#USHistory #Diplomacy

What do you do when you need your top diplomat fast? In 1794, George Washington tapped Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay as special envoy to Britain to negotiate an agreement for U.S. maritime rights and trade. Jay’s Treaty signified a new era of U.S. diplomacy, where h its former colonies would reflect their new status as a sovereign nation.

#DiplomaticHistory #USHistory #ForeignPolicy

On April 22, 1793, President George Washington issued the Proclamation of Neutrality — refusing to take sides as Britain and France went to war. One of the most consequential — and controversial — decisions of the founding era.

#USHistory #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy

In 1788: Before he was Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson helped shape U.S. consular work — negotiating a convention with France that defined consul roles still familiar 235+ years later.

#USHistory #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy

Morocco was one of the first nations to recognize U.S. independence. In 1786, diplomat Thomas Barclay negotiated a Treaty of Peace & Friendship — cementing one of America’s oldest and most enduring diplomatic relationships.

#USHistory #Diplomacy

What ended the Revolutionary War? A treaty signed in Paris in 1783 by three American diplomats — John Adams, Benjamin Franklin & John Jay — and British MP David Hartley. It secured independence from Britain, freedom for POWs & addressed the fate of British loyalists in the new nation.

On September 17, 1778, the United States signed the Treaty with the Delawares — also known as the Treaty of Fort Pitt — with the Delaware (Lenape) Nation. The agreement permitted U.S. military operations against the British in Mid-Atlantic regions inhabited by the Lenape, marking early American diplomacy.

#USHistory #Diplomacy

Also on February 6, 1778, U.S. diplomats Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee signed the Treaty of Alliance with France in Paris — uniting both nations in “common cause” against Britain. The agreement governed not only military operations but also the terms of eventual USHistory #Diplomacy

On February 6, 1778, U.S. diplomats Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in Paris with France — formally recognizing the United States as an independent nation and establishing a framework for bilateral trade.

#USHistory #Diplomacy

Did you know? The Declaration of Independence wasn’t just America’s founding document — it was also the new nation’s first statement of foreign policy principles. By declaring independence, the signers asserted the United States’ right to conduct its own diplomacy and #USHistory #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy

How did the U.S. work with partners around the world to tackle the issue of conflict diamonds? A combination of carats and sticks. In this report, the State Department lays out its strategy for pushing reluctant governments and diamond industry executives to adopt strategies to combat diamond smuggling. See 00 STATE 211929: ow.ly/4GVN50ZQg7Y

#ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #FOIA

Turns out diplomats love puns. Check out this cable entitled, “Diamonds in the RUF.” The title may be a play on words but the subject is no laughing matter: it’s an investigation into the role conflict diamonds played in funding the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the rebel group who fought for control during Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war. See 00 FREETOWN 422: ow.ly/wXYQ50ZQgaA

#ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #FOIA

What if diamonds were no longer a girl’s best friend? In this dispatch, Belgian officials and representatives from the diamond industry worry that U.S. efforts to end the trade in conflict diamonds could tarnish the image of all diamonds. See 99 LONDON 10648: r

#ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #FOIA

The @StateDept has released documents on “conflict diamonds,” from 1999 to 2003, which shed light on U.S. efforts to address this issue in collaboration with African governments, representatives of the diamond industry, and nongovernmental organizations. Visit the FOIA Library to view these records: foia.state.gov/FOIALIBRARY/Co…

#ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy #FOIA