558. The Empress of China Sailed to China on February 22, 1784

Embodying Americans' hope to break through the British blockade and revitalize the depressed postwar economy, the Empress of China, the first American commercial ship after its independence, left New York for Canton (Guangzhou), China, on February 22, 1784. Before the Empress of China left the East River Harbor of New York, George Washington duly signed the sea letter, guiding the purpose of the Empress of China's voyage.

There was a great deal of uncertainty in the newly founded country. After the war for independence was over, the nation's fiscal system was on the brink of chaos. Many small farmers, the broad base of the new nation, were being thrown into jail for debt and many others were forced to lose their farms. The Congress, established under the Articles of Confederation, was attempting to bring order out of the turmoil. In Massachusetts, an agrarian revolt spread quickly.

In the meantime, Britain, which lost the war militarily, was seeking to defeat the Americans economically. It strengthened its economic pressure on individual states to compel them, one by one, to return to "Mother England". Britain closed all traditional trade partners to the new nation, and American merchants could no longer trade with Spain, Africa and West Indies. In the aftermath of the victory of the American revolutionary war, France, Holland and other European countries were willing to use the US as their market, but not anxious to take American wares in exchange.

Given the situation, commerce became "the lifeblood of America's recovery from its economic slump". New trade partners had to be discovered, new trade routes had to be opened and new connections had to be established. Otherwise, political independence wouldn't last long. It was in this critical situation that the first American voyage to China started.

557. Benjamin Franklin Published Confucius' Work in 1737

Probably, Benjamin Franklin was the first founding father, who published Confucian work in 1737.  I will show my readers the picture of his publication of Confucius work below. His publication of Confucius work helped spread Confucian moral philosophy in North American colonies. It also laid foundation for the Confucius' fever among the main founders of the United States  in the eve of the American Revolution.

556. Thomas Jefferson: A Modern Prometheus Cites Dr. Dave Wang's Work

 

In Thomas Jefferson: A Modern Prometheus, Dr. Wilson Jeremiah Moses studies the Jeffersonian influence. It is well known that Jefferson's legacy is a field that scholars have long debated on.  In this new book, Dr. Moses provides his readers with "vigorous and insightful commentary" on Jefferson. I have no desire to make any comments on his assessment on Jefferson, but reveal the fact that Dr. Moses cites Dr. Dave Wang's article, Ideas From the East: The Founding Fathers and Chinese Wisdom.

 

From Dr. Dave Wang's academic publications we have found that Jefferson borrowed from Chinese civilization in his efforts to build a new nation out of British colonies in North America during the founding years of the United States. I am sure that my readers have learned that the efforts to learn from Chinese civilization and use its positive elements was also found in other founding fathers like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.