Mobilizing the Public Sphere: Scandal, Political Culture, and the Signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1778

This thesis is a case study of the events surrounding the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1778, exploring the motivations and strategies of the French Government, the American deputies in Paris, and the emerging public sphere. The thesis analyzes the coverage of the American rebellion in the French press in order to make broader claims about the manipulation of the public sphere and the mobilization of favorable opinion in the face of a potentially problematic scandal with the recall of Silas Deane to America to face charges of corruption immediately following the signing of the treaties.