The Greek Fire: American-Ottoman Relations and Democratic Fervor in the Age of Revolutions

In The Greek Fire, Maureen Connors Santelli explores the early global influence of the United States through its fascination with the Greek Revolution of the 1820s and 1830s. The American philhellenic movement pushed U.S. interests into the eastern Mediterranean, shaping domestic conversations on freedom and reform.

Believing Greece to be the birthplace of American democracy, Americans across the country raised funds, sent aid, and rallied against Turkish oppression. Northerners and southerners alike supported the Greek cause, with women-led philanthropic and missionary groups promoting humanitarianism, education reform, and evangelism.

Despite public pressure, the U.S. government remained neutral, prioritizing commercial ties with the Ottoman Empire over intervention. The Greek Fire reassesses America’s role in the Greek Revolution, revealing how early foreign engagements shaped national identity and diplomacy. Santelli highlights how these debates helped define what it meant to be an emerging global power in the nineteenth century.

Maureen Connors Santelli is a Professor of History at Northern Virginia Community College.