Russia and the United States Exchange Accredited Representatives

Russia declined an American consular appointment in 1795, after the unsuccessful revolutionary mission of Francis Dana. [1]

Andrei Dashkov presented his credentials to President James Madison on 14 July 1809, formally establishing diplomatic relations as Russia’s chargé d’affaires. In November, John Quincy Adams presented his own credentials to Emperor Alexander I in St. Petersburg. The exchange followed years of unsuccessful American approaches. [1]

Russia had declined to receive Francis Dana as minister in 1781, leaving him to spend two years there as a private citizen. A later American consular appointment also went unaccepted. Alexander finally recognized the United States in 1803 by agreeing to receive Levett Harris as consul, though an exchange of diplomatic missions remained to be negotiated. [1]

Discussions began in London in 1807, with the rank of the representatives still to be settled and opposition in the American Senate obstructing the appointments. Madison’s first nomination of Adams failed. His second won confirmation in June 1809, clearing the way for Dashkov’s reception the following month and Adams’s arrival in Russia that autumn. [1]

Related Diplomats

1. Andrei Dashkov [1]

Related Reading

• Russia and the United States