Before the United States could win its independence, it had to convince the world that the American experiment was worth supporting.

The thirteen colonies had no navy, no national treasury, and little credibility among Europe's great powers. Defeating the British Empire would require more than success on the battlefield. The revolutionaries needed weapons, loans, trade, diplomatic recognition, and powerful foreign allies. They also had to persuade European leaders and ordinary citizens that a collection of rebellious colonies could become a stable and successful nation.

In this episode of America at 250: Due Diligence, Bill Bernardoni and Steve Herman present an edited version of a panel recorded at a Public Diplomacy Council of America forum at George Washington University. Cultural critic Martha Bayles, public diplomacy scholar Dr. Caitlin Schindler, and author Eric Weiner examine how Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and other American representatives practiced public diplomacy long before the term existed.

Bayles explores the sharply different diplomatic styles of Franklin and Adams. Franklin arrived in France already celebrated as a scientist, inventor, and writer. His plain clothing, fur cap, wit, manners, and carefully cultivated public image allowed him to appear both distinctly American and perfectly at home among the French elite. Adams was less comfortable with the customs and excesses of the French court, but his skepticism about power and human nature reflected another important strand of the American political tradition.

Schindler explains how Franklin and his colleagues used the eighteenth century's most powerful communications technology—the printing press—to combat British propaganda and influence European opinion. They developed relationships with foreign publishers, placed information in European newspapers, and arranged translations of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and state constitutions. Those documents did more than explain the reasons for the Revolution. They helped demonstrate that the emerging country possessed the political institutions and stability necessary to become a credible ally, trading partner, and investment.

Weiner presents Franklin as America's first international celebrity and one of the Revolution's most effective diplomatic operators. Franklin worked with the limited resources available to him, understood how the French viewed the conflict, built relationships in salons and scientific societies, used humor to disarm opponents, and appealed to the larger ideals behind the American cause. He also knew when not to respond, sometimes waiting 24 hours before sending an angry letter—and frequently deciding not to send it at all.

The panel considers what Franklin's approach can teach the United States today, particularly his preference for softer language, his ability to maintain relationships across political and religious differences, and his understanding that influence often depends on listening, adapting, and seeing the world through another person's eyes.

Questions from the audience expand the discussion to the American Revolution's influence on France, the global reach of American popular culture, the founders' possible reaction to modern political discourse, relations with Native American nations, the overlooked roles of women during the Revolution, and the eventual creation of a professional United States Foreign Service.

It is the story of how a country that did not yet officially exist persuaded the world to take it seriously—and how Benjamin Franklin helped transform a vulnerable rebellion into an international cause.

Who decides when the United States goes to war?

The Constitution divides that responsibility between Congress and the president. Congress possesses the power to declare and fund war, while the president serves as commander in chief. But from the earliest years of the republic, the boundary between those powers has been tested, stretched, and frequently blurred.

In this episode of America at 250: Due Diligence, Bill Bernardoni and Steve Herman trace the evolution of American war powers from Thomas Jefferson's campaign against the Barbary powers to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and Venezuela.

Author Joseph Wheelan takes us back to the beginning of the 19th century, when American merchant ships and sailors were being seized by the Barbary corsairs. Jefferson sent the young United States Navy into combat without requesting a formal declaration of war, while Congress financed the operation and allowed it to continue. That early confrontation established a precedent that later presidents would repeatedly invoke.

Retired Army Brigadier General Ernie Audino argues that the Constitution gives the commander in chief the authority to commit American forces to combat, while Congress retains the power to raise the military and stop financing a conflict. Drawing on nearly three decades of military service, Audino also explains why political leaders must clearly define the objective of a war before asking service members to fight it—and considers the difficult questions created by artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons.

Former Illinois Congressman and Air Force combat veteran Adam Kinzinger offers a perspective shaped by both the cockpit and Capitol Hill. He argues that presidents sometimes need the flexibility to act quickly, but Congress has too often surrendered its own constitutional authority. A lasting military campaign, Kinzinger says, requires more than presidential orders: Congress must participate, the mission must be clearly explained, and the American people must be brought along.

From Tripoli to Pearl Harbor, Korea, Vietnam, and the conflicts of the 21st century, The Power of War examines what happens when formal declarations disappear but the consequences of war remain.

The Constitution did not give the power of war to a single branch. It divided that power so that no one person or institution could own the decision alone. But that system works only when both Congress and the president are willing to accept responsibility.

Joseph Wheelan is a journalist, historian, and author who spent 24 years as a reporter and editor for The Associated Press. He is the author of Jefferson's War: America's First War on Terror, 1801–1805, which examines Thomas Jefferson's confrontation with the Barbary powers and the development of the early United States Navy.

Brigadier General Ernie Audino, U.S. Army (Ret.), served nearly three decades in the Army, including as executive assistant to the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also spent a year embedded as a combat adviser with Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq, becoming widely recognized as the only American general officer to have served in that capacity.

Adam Kinzinger is a former Republican congressman from Illinois who served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, including on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. A lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, he flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bill Bernardoni is the founder of Bernardoni Media & Marketing and an experienced radio and podcast host, producer, political strategist, and media consultant. His work has included producing national radio programs, developing podcasts and digital media projects, and advising political campaigns and public-policy organizations.

Steve Herman is an award-winning journalist and former Voice of America White House bureau chief. During his decades-long career in international journalism, he has reported from more than 70 countries and covered the White House, diplomacy, national security, natural disasters, and conflicts around the world.

When should a president be permitted to order military action without first receiving authorization from Congress—and when should Congress be required to vote?

Share your thoughts with us at RadioFreeAmerica.media.

America at 250: Due Diligence is produced with support from the Radio Free America Project and the Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media.