Lafayette’s oath signed at Valley Forge Photo Contributed National Archives and Records Administration
On May 31 at 1 p.m. the City of Alexandria continues to celebrate the Marquis de Lafayette and the critical role he played in the American Revolution, as the replica of the frigate L’Hermione approaches.
L’Hermione was the ship on which Lafayette returned to American shores, alerting that the French fleet would soon arrive, bringing financial resources, dry goods and six ships and approximately 5,000 infantrymen, all to be under the command of General Washington along with the French General Rochambeau. The full throttle participation of the French marked a turning point in the war of attrition, which was being fought by the Continental forces.
In 1780 L’Hermione was one of the King Louis XVl’s best ships. The original crew included a number of officers, a surgeon and a priest. About half of the 313 working on board were sailors whose responsibilities were to maneuver the ship and man the cannons.
As a lasting legacy to the adventurous spirit and motto of Lafayette “Cur Non!” (Why not!), a fastidious replica of L’Hermione was recently built using traditional materials including oak, conifer, iron, tar, oakum, lead and hemp. To get a sense the sheer majesty of the ship, she is 185 ft. tall, has three masts, 1,000 pulleys and 15 miles of ropes, which were produced using traditional materials and craft; she has a 16 ft. 4 in. (5m) draught and is 216 ft. in length, including flag pole.
L’Hermione will arrive in Alexandria on June 10 and will leave the night of June 12.
To fully understand and appreciate the events of the period, with historical, scientific and cultural perspective, an interactive learning application, Tides of Revolution is being developed weaving together major content threads including Nature of Revolutionary Thought, The Atlantic World, 18th Century Navigation and Weather Forecasting.
A slice of the content of Tides of History will premiere on Lafayette Day in Alexandria, May 31, 1 p.m. at Market Square with a walking tour of historic sites, each relevant to Lafayette’s visits to Alexandria including Rochambeau-Encampment-near Alexandria Black History Museum, Carlyle House, Old Presbyterian Meeting House, Cemetery, and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. Artifacts and contextual explanations will be available at these sites, and others.
You can experience Tides of History by boarding a trolley at Market Square which will take you on tour, or, you can download the coordinates and information from the website of our production partner, George Washington’s Mt. Vernon at: www.mountvernon.org/app/download/
For more information about Tides of History contact:
TidesofRevolutionINFO@google.com
Next week you’ll find here additional information about other events surrounding L’Hermione during her time in Alexandria.
Cur Non!