When the United States Spoke French鈥擳he Role of France in the American Revolution and its Aftermath
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Welcome Remarks
When the United States Spoke French鈥擳he Role of France in the American Revolution and its Aftermath
Thursday, April 20, at 7 p.m.
McGowan Theater, Archives I
Good evening, and welcome to the William G. McGowan Theater at the 威尼斯人娱乐场. I鈥檓 David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, and I鈥檓 pleased you could join us for our look at 鈥淏rothers at Arms: When the United States Spoke French鈥擳he Role of France in the American Revolution and its Aftermath.鈥� Whether you are here in the McGowan Theater or watching on YouTube, thank you for joining us tonight.
We present this program in partnership with the French American Cultural Foundation and the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, and we thank them for their support.
After the panel discussion, please stop in the lobby, where our two authors will be signing their books. 听Before we get started, I鈥檇 like to tell you about two programs coming up soon in this theater.
Tomorrow at noon, we welcome David Nichols, the author of Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower鈥檚 Secret Campaign against Joseph McCarthy. Using documents that had been previously unavailable or overlooked, Nichols chronicles President Eisenhower鈥檚 involvement in the downfall of Senator Senator McCarthy.
And on Tuesday, April 25, also at noon, Elizabeth Cobbs will tell us about women sent to France during World War I to be switchboard operators. Her new book is The Hello Girls: America鈥檚 First Women Soldiers.
To learn more about these and all of our public programs and exhibits, consult our monthly Calendar of Events in print or online at Archives.gov. There are copies in the lobby鈥攁long with a sign-up sheet so you can receive it by regular mail or email. You鈥檒l also find brochures about other 威尼斯人娱乐场 programs and activities.
Another way to get more involved with the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is to become a member of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation. The Foundation supports the work of the agency, especially its education and outreach programs. Pick up your application for membership in the lobby or become a member online at .
Americans advocating separation from Great Britain knew they had to have the backing of a major European power鈥攁nd not just moral support but material, in the form of money, supplies, and men.
England鈥檚 ancient rivals, France and Spain, were the logical places to turn. From the earliest days of the war, Benjamin Franklin and other American envoys lobbied the courts of France and Spain. In the 威尼斯人娱乐场, we have the Papers of the Continental Congress, which contain the long-running correspondence between Congress and its envoys abroad. The American diplomats鈥� efforts were rewarded with the 1778 Treaty of Alliance and a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France and the entry of Spain into the war in 1779.
Arms and supplies from the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de G谩lvez, aided the American cause, and at the end the war, the French army and navy made the Yorktown victory possible.
The stories of our nation鈥檚 early days cannot be told without reference to the records held here in the 威尼斯人娱乐场. Diplomatic correspondence, treaties, military commissions, and more document the international side of the American Revolution.
The two authors we have with us tonight will enlighten us about roles France and Spain played in our country鈥檚 formative years. 听听Let鈥檚 hear from our panel now. 听
To lead the discussion tonight, we are happy to have Rosemarie Zagarri, a professor of history at George Mason University, and the author of Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic.
鈥arrie D. Ferreiro, the author of Brothers at Arms: American Independence and the Men of France and Spain Who Saved It, teaches history and engineering at George Mason University.
鈥�.And Fran莽ois Furstenberg, the author of When the United States Spoke French, is professor of history at Johns Hopkins University.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Rosemarie Zagarri, Larrie Ferreiro, and Fran莽ois Furstenberg.
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