Posted on 06/07/2015 8:31:45 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The replica ship called the Hermione and its crew made the trans-Atlantic trip from Rochefort, France; the same place where Lafayette left on his journey to America back in 1780. (Courtesy of York County, Virginia)
WASHINGTON — It was a battle a young America was losing — the battle for independence. That was until the French stepped in, providing the edge America so desperately needed in its revolution against the British.
A young Frenchman played a pivotal role in helping secure independence from Great Britain. His name was Marquis de Lafayette, and he was on board a French warship in 1780 that helped change the course of American history.
Now a full-scale replica of that French frigate called the “Hermione” is on a historic voyage heading up the East Coast, making 12 stops along the way.
Beginning in Rochefort, France — the same place where Lafayette left on his journey to America in 1780 — the tall ship then arrived at its first port in Yorktown, Virginia (June 5-7). It stops at Mount Vernon on June 9, then on Wednesday it will anchor for three days (June 10-12) in Old Town Alexandria along the waterfront. It goes from there to Annapolis and then Baltimore, Md.
Miles Young, president of the American Friends of the Hermione-Lafayette, recounted the historical significance of the ship, which took 17 years to replicate.
“In 1780, if anyone had come to America, at that point, they would think that the American insurgencies would lose their war against Great Britain,” he noted. Lafayette had spent two years lobbying France’s king to come to the aid of the Americans against the Brits. On March 19, 1780, Lafayette left France on board the Hermione bound for Boston. Once there, Lafayette would travel to New Jersey to catch up with Gen. George Washington and deliver the great news that the French were sending a large military force to battle the British.
Young says when Lafayette told Washington the news that a tear ran down the general’s cheek.
The crew of the Hermione, now anchored in Yorktown, Va. (Courtesy of York County)
“Because he knew it was a guarantee of eventual victory,” he says.
Frenchman Lafayette was only 19 when he became an American general serving under Washington in the Continental Army. Lafayette and Washington developed a deep bond. Young says Lafayette became the son Washington never had, and that Washington became a father figure for Lafayette since Lafayette’s own father died fighting against the British.
Lafayette’s military forces played a pivotal role in the surrender of British Gen. Charles Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown, where the the Hermione was part of a blockade in the `York River which forced their surrender.
“That was the beginning of the end, if not the end for the British,” says Young.
The high point of the Tall Ship’s journey will take place in New York, where the Hermione will be escorted by hundreds of sail and motor boats past the Statue of Liberty during a July 4 parade to mark Independence Day.
Click image to view YouTube video.
No, this is a new ship. The Hornblower series used the Grand Turk, a Turkish built replica of a 1741 vintage Royal Navy 6th rate frigate. While the ship has a good appearance, the construction methods are largely modern. The Hermoine is built as closer to original as is possible with currently maritime regulations. The Grand Turk has been renamed and is in France.
The ship used in Master and Commander is a replica of of a Royal Navy Revolutionary era 6th Rate 24 gun frigate, HMS Rose. That ship is moored in San Diego.
Beautiful! Especially with the cannons run out.
Thank you for the reply! Very interesting. I didn’t know there had been several replicas of the old ships built. Worth researching.
Thanks E. Pluribus Unum.
Once I think about it, what we call the American Revolution was actually a part of the truly first world war.
As you said, Britain was fighting the colonies here, but also the French once they committed.
They were also fighting off the Spanish and Portuguese I believe.
I seem to remember reading the Dutch were involved as well.
Though the British were the victors overall, it did cost them their American colonies.
But that’s all they lost.
Not only a world war, but a civil war as well.
Perhaps essentially a civil war, with multi-nation support on both sides.
The French were recovering from their losses in the Seven Years War by the 1780s. To state they were dominating anything is a bit of a stretch- it would be more accurate to say they had raised themselves to being a significant threat. De Grasse’s fleet that helped at Yorktown was defeated in 1782 in the Caribbean: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Saintes
What sort of engines did the original Hermione have? The replica moves pretty smartly with the sails furled.
The French Revolution.
They guillotined anyone with leadership skills.
OK, I’ll go with the civil war with multi-nation support.
But anyway way you look at it, Britain did pretty darn good, being a small island nation.
Not only did they have colonies or possessions in every part of the world, they were so good at seeding their culture everywhere they went.
A post office in Calcutta looked just like one in London.
The same with police stations, hospitals or ministry offices.
It’s easy to see that the Age of Britain paved the way to the Age of America.
Just wish we had had the same “stick it out” mentality the Brit’s had back then.
Imagine the Korean peninsula united under representative govt.
The same with Vietnam.
If we had convincingly won those two, who in the world would screw with us?
Ah. Thanks.
Thanks for posting this. As a sailor, tall ship fan and a history buff, I very much enjoyed it. Wife and I served as crew on the Endeavour replica (Capt. James Cook’s ship) sailing from Vancouver BC to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii for our honeymoon. It was the experience of a lifetime.
Robespierre might have had something to do with it.
It is at Yorktown - A good drive from DC, but it will be worth the trip and overnight stay.
The Australian built Endeavour Replica was also used in Master and Commander and was actually sailed around Cape Horn with a film crew aboard to get B roll footage.
As a replica, Rose is pretty sad - steel hull and fake molded rubber rope "Rigging" at deck level and fake guns on one side only. Endeavour is built entirely of wood, is rigged traditionally but with synthetic rope made to emulate the appearance and feel of hemp and has real, functional, six pound guns mounted. I don't know about Hermione.
Well aware of the Rose shortcomings.
Hermoine appears to be the real deal. Her scantlings are spot on, and many other details are done correctly. Visit their website and take a look. I’m sure that the pictures carefully avoid the modern bits, but some must be present to permit to sail. She’s not just a museum, but a working ship that has transited the Atlantic.
http://www.hermione2015.com/#home
Bkmk
Apparently North American oak got better by 1812. The Southern live oak used in American frigates was very rot resistant and Old Ironsides was practically impenetrable.
Correction, it was white oak it seems.
Quite right, and much of American Oak reputation came from the tendency of American yards to use green wood. As you point out, Southern live oak, well seasoned, served very well.
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