The First American Diplomat in China - Samuel Shaw
Samuel Shaw was the first American diplomat sent to China.
Make sure you check back tomorrow for a thorough discussion of the adventures on his first trip.
Samuel Shaw
Samuel Shaw was a young Boston resident when the Revolutionary War broke out.
A Patriot, Shaw immediately joined the Siege of Boston and by the end of 1775 he became a Lieutenant of Artillery.
Samuel worked his way up through the ranks and was selected as an aide-de-camp by Henry Knox, a position he held for the final four years of the war.
Empress of China
After the war concluded, several wealthy Americans (led by Robert Morris) commissioned a ship built to serve as the first trading vessel to travel to China.
The Empress of China, as the ship was named, set off for the other side of the world with Shaw and Thomas Randall as Supercargo. (Supercargo is what they would call a non-political representative or agent of a company.)
To China
Shaw traveled for seven months in 1784, meeting and joining a French fleet while passing through Malaysia.
He stayed in Canton for four months, trading with the Chinese and witnessing several stressful diplomatic situations before getting back on the Empress and sailing for six more months back home.
Samuel wrote a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Jay, regarding his trip which was published in at least ten newspapers throughout the country.
Back to China
Upon his return, he started working for his old boss, Henry Knox, who was head of the War Department under the Articles of Confederation.
Shortly thereafter, the Continental Congress chose Samuel to act as the first Consul to China.
This second trip was a three year adventure where he officially spoke on behalf of the United States.
When he again returned home a Constitution had been written and George Washington elected President.
Washington turned Shaw right back around, choosing him to represent the new government in Canton.
Samuel took one more four year trip to China. Sadly, on his return home, Shaw passed away of liver disease while rounding the Cape of Good Hope.
Want to learn about another Founder who traveled the world by sea?
OK, here you go:
The First American Adventurer - John Ledyard
To learn more about Shaw’s voyage, check out ‘The Empress of China’.
Don’t let the blurry image below fool you, this is a thoroughly researched book written in 1984.
If you’d like a copy you can get one through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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