Kluge Fellow Theo Christov examines the language of Emer Vattel's "Law of Nations" (1758) and the impact of Vattel on turning the newly rising United States into an international actor and eventual global power. One of the most reliable authorities during the Continental Congress (1774-1789), "Law of Nations" was not only the most consulted book on how to turn dependent British colonies into independent political actors on the international stage; it also marked the Declaration of Independence chiefly as a declaration of interdependence with other major European powers and the Constitution as a powerful statement of international law. Speaker Biography: Theo Christov is assistant professor of history and international affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He is also been a visiting assistant professor at Northwestern University and received his Ph.D. from UCLA in 2008. He is the author of "Before Anarchy: Hobbes and His Critics in Modern International Thought." For transcript and more information, visit www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=7444

Be the first to comment