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Remembering an old friend on the Fourth
Author: TriSec
Date: 07/04/2009 13:11:08
Good Morning!
Happy Independence day to one and all, on this the beginning of our 233rd year free of the tyranny of King George III.
While everyone is out and about today, I want you all to take a look at the street names in your city. With a reasonable degree of certainty, I can state that everyone has one or more of the following street names. Washington. Franklin. Jefferson. Maybe a Revere. Probably a Lexington.
I'm betting there's one other name out there. Lafayette.
It seems like such an American name, but let us not forget that these things are named after Gilbert du Motier, who we remember as the Marquis de Lafayette.
A decade before the revolution, a younger George Washington cut his teeth in the Royal Army, fighting against these same Frenchmen in the Seven Years War. (or the French and Indian war.) The European powers were fighting for control over the riches of North America, and after a protracted battle....France lost. These days, the last strongholds of French influence on these shores are in La Belle Province, and some small pockets in and around the former New Orleans.
Emboldened, King George began cracking down on the colonists...and the colonists, equally emboldened, began fighting back. Once war broke out, the French slowly but surely started to send more aid to the struggling colonials. However, this was not out of any altruistic motives, but more "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
We all know the eventual ending; the British regulars were harassed out of the Northeast, and eventually retreated to Yorktown, Virginia. In October of 1781, a combined French and American force besieged the town, while the French Fleet under Comte de Grasse blockaded the James River and left the British nowhere to go.
After the war, America turned her efforts towards forming a new government, and the beginnings of a long expansion to the West. France, meanwhile, went through The Terror and saw the rise of Napoleon. During this time, France sold the rights to her remaining territories in North America, what we remember as the Louisiana Purchase.
Some 40 years after the Revolution, War once again darkened our shores, and once again the enemy was...England. This time, France did not rally to our cause, perhaps because they were fighting the Prussians in Europe at the same time. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the only foreign power to ever invade the mainland United States and capture Washington, DC was...England.
A generation later, war again came to the East Coast. While we all know the long and protracted story of the American Civil war, once again it's notable that at one point in time, a foreign power was on the verge of recognizing the Union's enemy and was seriously considering military intervention. Of course it was...England. Fortunately, the Union won the Battle of Antietam, allowing Lincoln to change the face of the war by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, and the issue was never again raised.
So that leaves me to ponder. In our early history, we owe much to France for the creation of these United States. It's not that much of a stretch to consider that without French help, there might be NO UNITED STATES, at least not as we know it.
I'm curious why the 20th century seems to have changed that relationship. For the first 100 years of our independence, our enemy was...England. Perhaps only after WWI did the seeds of that "Special Relationship" start to take root. WWII of course cemented it. And we paid off our debt to France by liberating them from the Nazis in 1945.
Perhaps that's it....the Right always complains that France is ungrateful and has forgotten all we did to save them from Germany. But perhaps it's we who are ungrateful and have forgotten all France did to save us from King George.
Happy Fourth, everyone!
Happy Independence day to one and all, on this the beginning of our 233rd year free of the tyranny of King George III.
While everyone is out and about today, I want you all to take a look at the street names in your city. With a reasonable degree of certainty, I can state that everyone has one or more of the following street names. Washington. Franklin. Jefferson. Maybe a Revere. Probably a Lexington.
I'm betting there's one other name out there. Lafayette.
It seems like such an American name, but let us not forget that these things are named after Gilbert du Motier, who we remember as the Marquis de Lafayette.
...On arrival, Lafayette met Major Benjamin Huger, with whom he stayed for two weeks before departing on the thirty-two day journey to Philadelphia. In Pennsylvania, the Continental Congress delayed Lafayette's commission, as they had tired of "French glory seekers" and other men sent by Silas Deane. Congress, impressed by Lafayette's offer to serve without pay, commissioned the rank of major-general on 31 July 1777. The commission, however, became effective on that date, not from his original agreement with Deane. In addition, he was not assigned a unit; he nearly returned home for this reason.
Benjamin Franklin, however, wrote George Washington recommending acceptance of Lafayette as his aide-de-camp, hoping it would influence France to commit more aid. Washington accepted, and Lafayette met him at Moland Headquarters on 10 August 1777. When Washington expressed embarrassment to show a French officer the state of their camp and troops, Lafayette responded, "I am here to learn, not to teach." He became a member of Washington's staff, although confusion existed regarding his status. The Congress regarded his commission as honorary, while he considered himself a full-fledged commander who would be given control of a division, when Washington deemed him prepared. To address this, Washington told Lafayette that a division would not be possible as he was of foreign birth; however, Washington said that he would be happy to hold him in confidence as "friend and father".
A decade before the revolution, a younger George Washington cut his teeth in the Royal Army, fighting against these same Frenchmen in the Seven Years War. (or the French and Indian war.) The European powers were fighting for control over the riches of North America, and after a protracted battle....France lost. These days, the last strongholds of French influence on these shores are in La Belle Province, and some small pockets in and around the former New Orleans.
Emboldened, King George began cracking down on the colonists...and the colonists, equally emboldened, began fighting back. Once war broke out, the French slowly but surely started to send more aid to the struggling colonials. However, this was not out of any altruistic motives, but more "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
We all know the eventual ending; the British regulars were harassed out of the Northeast, and eventually retreated to Yorktown, Virginia. In October of 1781, a combined French and American force besieged the town, while the French Fleet under Comte de Grasse blockaded the James River and left the British nowhere to go.
After the war, America turned her efforts towards forming a new government, and the beginnings of a long expansion to the West. France, meanwhile, went through The Terror and saw the rise of Napoleon. During this time, France sold the rights to her remaining territories in North America, what we remember as the Louisiana Purchase.
Some 40 years after the Revolution, War once again darkened our shores, and once again the enemy was...England. This time, France did not rally to our cause, perhaps because they were fighting the Prussians in Europe at the same time. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the only foreign power to ever invade the mainland United States and capture Washington, DC was...England.
A generation later, war again came to the East Coast. While we all know the long and protracted story of the American Civil war, once again it's notable that at one point in time, a foreign power was on the verge of recognizing the Union's enemy and was seriously considering military intervention. Of course it was...England. Fortunately, the Union won the Battle of Antietam, allowing Lincoln to change the face of the war by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, and the issue was never again raised.
So that leaves me to ponder. In our early history, we owe much to France for the creation of these United States. It's not that much of a stretch to consider that without French help, there might be NO UNITED STATES, at least not as we know it.
I'm curious why the 20th century seems to have changed that relationship. For the first 100 years of our independence, our enemy was...England. Perhaps only after WWI did the seeds of that "Special Relationship" start to take root. WWII of course cemented it. And we paid off our debt to France by liberating them from the Nazis in 1945.
Perhaps that's it....the Right always complains that France is ungrateful and has forgotten all we did to save them from Germany. But perhaps it's we who are ungrateful and have forgotten all France did to save us from King George.
Happy Fourth, everyone!
