An Emotional Revolution: Fearing France in New England, 1754-1794

This dissertation examines interactions between New Englanders and the French from the beginning of the French and Indian War to the beginning of the French Revolution to better understand how these exchanges informed New Englanders’ conceptions of their roles first as provincials in the British Empire and then as citizens of a new republic. Investigating sermons, journals, newspapers, and correspondence, this study argues that an atmosphere of fear developed in New England in response to French threats, an emotional community which defined life in New England and provided frameworks for action. This dissertation argues that the specter of France informed face-to-face interactions between soldiers, politicians, merchants, travelers, and ordinary colonists, prompting fear to merge with other concerns or influencing the development of new emotions in the face of new experiences. Fear of France shaped understandings of all other concerns and sensibilities for New England colonists during a tumultuous era, serving as the defining emotion which created a mindset that framed the decisions and dictated the actions of New Englanders as they engaged in a revolution and built a nation.