Benjamin Franklin, the most distinguished scientific and literary American of his age, was the first American diplomat.		Elected President of the Continental Congress at age 32, John Jay was a bright and capable lawyer from a well-to-do New York merchant family.		American diplomacy during the War for Independence was short on financial and military assets and long on optimism.		The first constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, permitted Congress to select "such committees and civil officers as may be necessary for managing the general affairs of the United States."
	1776-1783 Benjamin Franklin and the first U.S. diplomats win support for the revolution and negotiate a peace with Great Britain.			The single most important success of American diplomacy during the War for Independence was the critical link forged with France.		John Adams, who represented the United States in France 1778-1779, returned to Paris in 1780 as a Peace Commissioner charged by the Continental Congress with negotiating a peace treaty with Great Britain.		In April 1782 Benjamin Franklin rejected informal peace feelers from Great Britain for a settlement that would provide the thirteen states with some measure of autonomy within the British empire.