Diplomaticheskaia missiia Dzhona Kuinsi Adamsa v 1809–1814 godakh. Russko–amerikanskie politicheskie i kul’turnye sviazi nachala XIX veka (review)

Marking the 200th anniversary of Russian–American diplomatic relations, Nataliia Suchugova has produced the first book in Russian on John Quincy Adams. Polished in style and well researched, the work is a milestone in Russian–American studies and a fine representation of the new generation of Russian scholars working in the field. It is therefore fortunate that one thousand copies (sizeable for recent Russian academic publishing) have been issued. Underscoring the benefits of Russian–American cooperation, particularly during times of international crisis, the book’s central focus is high-level politics, although Suchugova also explores economic and cultural issues. The main themes are friendship and common accord.

The brilliant son of a great family, John Quincy Adams’s relationship with Russia began in 1780, when he lived in St. Petersburg as a student and translator. After successful experiences in France, the Netherlands, and at Harvard College, the young Adams became the first American minister to Russia in 1809. His career there witnessed momentous events, making it an ideal subject for scholars. Although previous Russian–American contacts had been somewhat less than cordial, the two sides warmed rapidly during the Napoleonic Wars, when mutual enemies and commercial interests brought them together.

A consummate patriot, pious Puritan, and devoted scholar, Adams seems to have truly enjoyed his Russian experience. He performed his official duties skillfully, in part thanks to solid working relationships with Tsar Alexander I and Foreign Minister N. P. Rumiantsev. In long, private conversations with both men, Adams expressed his country’s desire to establish friendly commercial relations based on neutrality of the seas. Common animosity toward Great Britain made the union logical, although from the beginning Adams made it clear that the United States could not become entangled in European affairs. Suchugova’s blow-by-blow account of diplomatic meetings reveals a genial, candid atmosphere. Although Adams’s dream of a political alliance went unrealized, trade negotiations advanced steadily and laid the foundation for a future treaty. Suchugova complements her discussion of Adams’s diplomatic endeavors in Russia with a brief analysis of the activities of A. Ia. Dashkov, Russia’s first emissary to the United States.

In general, scholars have neglected the study of Russian–American economic connections in the initial years of diplomatic association. Part of the value of Suchugova’s study derives from the wealth of documentary materials she draws upon relating to the fluctuation of Russian–American commercial shipping. The pace of economic exchange, clearly the most important link between the two countries, peaked between 1807 and 1811. American merchants took advantage of the alteration of trading links caused by the Continental System (a topic that Suchugova may have discussed more thoroughly) and Russia intervened in cases where American vessels were sequestered in the Baltic. In 1811, one hundred-twenty-nine American ships traded at St. Petersburg alone (250). American merchants were interested in hemp for cordage, flax for sails, and iron for industry. In exchange, the Russians sought American vessels and finished goods. Relations grew exceptionally friendly and businesslike. However, the exigencies of the era require more emphasis than accorded here. The escalation in trade was a wartime phenomenon, and after 1812 shipping declined precipitously. Suchugova’s discussion of the Tilsit agreement (which committed Russia to the Continental System) is also rather thin.

The complex web of Russian–American–British–French relations constitutes a fascinating aspect of international relations during the Napoleonic Wars. Briefly stated, Russia and Great Britain gradually (and secretly) drew together as the Continental System deteriorated and French aggression intensified. By 1811 the promise of lucrative trade with the United States helped trigger the end of the Russian–French concord. On the eve of invasion...