Steel engraving, drawn by C. N. Cochin 1777, engraved by A.H. Richie.

Welcome to the EAFSD

The Early American Foreign Service Database (EAFSD to its friends) traces the U.S. Foreign Service from its early attempts at supplying the Continental Army during the American Revolution through the establishment of U.S. embassies in South America.

How to Use the Database

The EAFSD is very much a work in progress. I will be entering my research in fits (bulk loading) and starts (by hand) over the next several years. As the data set expands, the ability to search and visualize that data will also be enhanced.

Right now, you can Search or Browse the data, look at Maps & Visualizations, or learn more About the larger project and its open source software.

Don't forget to read the Acknowledgements Page!

If you have questions, suggestions, or data you would like to contribute, please

Dispatches

Watch this space for news about the EAFSD, including new data and features.

March 4, 2011 New Visualizations! Check out the newly created "Maps & Visualizations" page to see the data from a fresh perspective.

January 26, 2011 I gave a talk at Brown University's Center for Digital Scholarship entitled "Republicans of Letters: Historical Social Networks and The Early American Foreign Service Database." To read the abstract and see my slides, click here.

October 18, 2010 The EAFSD is online! This has been over a year in the making, but several major features are still under development and the data set is far from complete. Keep coming back and you will see the project grow in depth and complexity.