In 1789, as the French Revolution shook Europe, a distinguished circle of five French leaders sought refuge in Philadelphia, then capital of the United States and home of the wealthiest merchants and financiers. François Furstenberg follows these five men and reconstructs their American adventures, as they integrated themselves into the city and its elite social networks and became enmeshed in Franco-American diplomacy. Through their stories, Furstenberg shows some of the most prominent events of early American history in a new light, from the diplomatic struggles of the 1790s to the Haitian Revolution to the Louisiana Purchase.