This is great for the most part, but some of the dialogue is a little weird.

Like "Damn straight".

Also, port wine and ICE CREAM?  It just doesn't match!

 Can you sustain this level for an entire novel?  How extraordinary if you can!  As near as I can tell (not being an historian of that period) your information is factually correct.  I am interested in seeing which one of several threads you follow in this story.  Is this to be a biography of Citizen Genet? I hope so, as I think he is historically underreported. A popular novel about him might correct that situation, and indeed, revive interest in a remarkable historical era.

I enjoyed the writing, and could find no fault with your grammar or spelling.  However, you employ several too many dashes; unfinished sentences, transitions, comments, all end with a dash.  As well, I think you overuse exclamation points.  You might consider toning down these elements so it doesn't feel as though you are constantly shouting excitedly at your reader.

Nevertheless, the description of the Philadelphia of 1793 was quite entertaining, and I found myself back in that city following the carriage down Chestnut Street.  I wonder, though, that the citizens of the city were so well-informed that they knew who Citizen Genet was, and why he had come to visit.  Would they be able to understand his complicated mission and so enthusiastically embrace it, and him?  

I liked your descriptions of the people involved, as they seemed to evoke the historical personalities and attitudes, especially of Jefferson and Washington, as well as their political relationships.  Some expansion here might be in order, though, to detail the information that it is the beginning of Washington's 3rd term (isn't it?). Information about how presidents were chosen then could be enlightening as well.  We do see some of the unresolved tensions, which is good, but I would like to see more as the tale develops and these men succeed each other in governmental positions, like playing political musical chairs. 

You have a daunting job ahead if you are planning to be all-inclusive of the details involved in the U.S.'s eventual acquisition of the Louisiana territory.  Making that tangled tale understandable and entertaining is quite an undertaking, one that I suspect you are capable of.

One more comment:  your dialog is amazing.  It almost sounds as though you were there.

Thank you for Chapter 1.  I look forward to more.

<h2>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</h2>

HTML coding doesn't work in Scribophile. Don't worry, I've done that a couple of times myself

Edmond Charles Genet, Minister Plenipotentiary to America, sprawled on the carriage seat, grasping at the rough hands thrust at him through the carriage window.

Don't use the abbreviated form of the nation in a title. Make sure it's "to the United States (of America can be left in or out)". It gives the right message.

The voices of citizens, loud and guttural, singing La Marseillaise and Ça Ira. The strange, flat American accents butchered the beautiful songs.

I think these two sentences could be combined easily without losing the impact of the message. They relate so directly to one another that it would be an easy fit.

Genet forced a laugh as the cheerful executioner retrieved the head from the basket and placed it back on the neck of the kneeling, straw-filled effigy of his late King, Louis XVI of France.

It is obvious that his nation is France, so stating that King Louis is from there is really not needed.

The place was altogether too much like a palace, Genet thought as the president’s liveried servants ushered him into the State Drawing Room.

Actually, the original seat of government in Philadelphia was rather modest compared to the heads of state of European nations. Washington even went out of his way to ensure that he was not treated as some sort of iconic figure.

"He is waiting for us in the state dining room, with the other members of the cabinet."

Earlier you capitalize State Drawing Room. If you capitalize that, you should also capitalize State Dining Room.

Minister Genet, may I present his Excellency, President Washington."

First, if you use the honorific, be sure to capitalize His. Second, Washington would never have let himself be addressed like that. In fact, Washington and Adams even argued over the fact that President of the United States was sufficient enough to refer to the position and that such other titles were too high-toned and authoritarian sounding.

"Tell me, minister, have you any news of the fate of my old friend and comrade in arms, General Lafayette?"

Since it is being used to specifically address someone in a conversation, Minister is to be capitalized, like how someone may address an military colonel by way of, "Tell me, Colonel, have you..." and so forth.

For a man of brilliance, Mr. Jefferson had the most cluttered house he had ever seen.

VERY true, Jefferson never kept his home "tailored to conformity."

You descriptions of Jefferson's appearance and attitude is very correct for the most part, but I honestly don't think he would willing accept the possibility of Americans hanging because of his private embellishment. Other than that, however, I think you have him down pretty well.

However, when it comes to Washington, I'm afraid that it is inaccurate. His demeanor appears to be stand offish. I have never seen such a description before; Washington was very much a man of the people. It is true that he let the more Federalist members of his staff, such as Hamilton, Knox, Adams, etc, influence him greatly, but in no way would I have described him as a dullard. That may be how Genet sees him, but I don't consider it historically accurate.

Most of it is very historically accurate, I commend you on that.

Technically, it's perfect. The detail is exactly right -- not too little not too much.  The dialogue is really good when it's short. When it goes to middling and long, it weakens. But that wouldn't be a problem if the element that's missing here were in place.

That element is a combination of two things, I think -- pacing and staging.

The story moves too fast. In one chapter your rush us through 10 very important scenes. You do this rushing exceedingly well, but you rush us none the less.

The arrival of Genet to Philidelphia should have been a chapter in its own. To have him arrive and appear before Jefferson and Washington without even a detour for a meal, hotel room, etc, is too much.

You understand characterization, atmosphere, description, and all that, but you miss the brick and mortar of building a story.

This is a novel, not a television script. You give us great scenes, but you cheat us by not giving us the scenes that led up to these great scenes.  Historical fiction should be about 100,000 words. At the rate you're going, your story will be finished by 50,000 words and  you won't have anything else to say.

Of course if this is a first draft, it's excellent. Now all you have to do is go back and ad three more scenes for every one scene you already have.

My sense is you want to write this story in 30 days. But a story like this will take six months to write and another six months to revise.

You've given us the skeleton and a fine skeleton it is. But now you must put meat on the bones.

ricland

I really like the way you lead into this novel. It makes one want to read on. I didn't see too much to critizise, but also have to admit that I have a great weakness for most things "epic." Keep up the wonderful work!

Outstanding dialog, Frances!  You've got a gift for that, clearly.

Some of Mssr. Genet's lines, though, make him seem "prop-like" - a character whose function is primarily expository and this costs him some credibility. 

"the traitor Lafayette...has been arrested and jailed by the Jacobin govt." - That sounds odd.  It would be like Jefferson telling Genet that Benedict Arnold was "arrested and jailed by the American govt."  Arrested and jailed will probably do.

The bit about 'watered by the blood of tyrants,' while historically relevant, seems a bit contrived.  Perhaps Genet can allude to the quotation in a less direct way.

Even those things, though, I'm stretching to complain about, just to try to lend SOME use to a very cool read!  All told, a very competent piece of writing!