Lafayette's Hermione is sailing again.
Well, sort of.
It is not actually the ship that Lafayette sailed on. It is a legitimate reconstruction of that ship, however. Those who built it did so using the original plans and details taken from the English for a very similar ship, who had artists at the time offer their renderings of every detail, thus serving as de facto blueprints.
And it was rebuilt, too. Starting in 1997, a new ship specifically designed on these blueprints began to be constructed, done in the old-fashioned way. Those who undertook this massive operation had to relearn just how to build these old style ships again. It took 17 years - the better part of two decades - but it eventually came to fruition.
At the time, Lafayette's ship, known as the Hermione, was the fastest and most feared ship of it's day. It could outrace any other ship of the day, and it carried a lot of firepower, as well. Lafayette himself said that it sailed like a bird.
The reconstructed ship was made in France, but like it's predecessor, which crossed the Atlantic from France to the New World to help the colonies achieve their independence, this ship also crossed the Atlantic to come to America.
Of course nowadays, this side of the Atlantic no longer consists of colonies that were small and weak and in desperate need of help from the French, the only nation in the world at the time that could remotely rival the power of Great Britain. These thirteen colonies that hugged the Atlantic Coast were struggling in the war for independence from the British, and French help would prove crucial.
It took a bit of time, but the French did come through. Easily, the most famous French military figure to come to America was named Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier. He is better known nowadays as the Marquis de Lafayette. He actually came before the rest of the French did, however, as he sailed and arrived in America in 1777, without the authority or blessing of the French government at the time. He soon met Washington, and helped the rebel cause during the fight for independence. To that end, he sailed back to France in 1778 to petition for much needed help for the American cause.
Lafayette's efforts proved successful, and Louis XVI finally approved of sending significant military support to help the Americans in their cause. In the meantime, Lafayette himself was recognized as one of Washington's generals.
When Lafayette came back to America on March 19, 1780, he did so on the newly built the Hermione, which was commanded by Louis-René de Latouche, and was a true marvel of the day. The Hermione arrived in Boston in 38 days. Lafayette went on to meet Washington and serve under him, and he informed him of the extent of the French support that he could expect. In the meantime, the Hermione saw action on the Atlantic Coast. It went to Philadelphia in 1781, where every single member of the Continental Congress paid it a visit.
Both Lafayette and The Hermione then headed towards Virginia, and played a crucial role in the eventual, final defeat of Cornwallis that ended the war, and helped the colonies to finally achieve independence. The Hermione played an important role in the naval blockade that essentially trapped Cornwallis and the British, ensuring their defeat.
The Hermione continued to fight against the British for years after the American Revolution, although it eventually was shipwrecked in 1793. As for Lafayette, he returned to France, although he remained a loyal ally to the Americans, and returned to America for decades later, getting a hero's welcome.
In 1997, members of the Centre Internationale de la Mer decided that it would be a good idea to rebuild the ship. Using the British blueprints of a very similar ship, the Concorde, work began on building l'Hermione, to honor both Lafayette and the original Hermione. It took a long time, but it was finally completed, and it set sail from France to America earlier this year. The voyage, according to crew members, took seven weeks.
It was on display for the Tall Ships, which came to Philadelphia last weekend. To me, it was the true highlight of the event.
When you look at it, it is very impressive! It is remarkably tall, with masts that stand very high indeed. Yet, these masts can be lowered when the ship needs to go underneath bridges that it would otherwise be too high for.
This ship has 15 miles of rope on board! Indeed, as you see it in person, it is very, very impressive! Just looking at the bent wood that the ship is built from, and it really feels like a remarkable feat of engineering. One of my friends that I went with was saying that a lot of Americans forget that French help for the colonial American cause was crucial in defeating the British and winning independence.
I brought my son with me, hoping that this might be impressive enough to capture his vivid imagination. At the very least, it would be a break from the video games and cartoons that occupy too much of his attention. I tried to get him excited about it, even asking if he could smell the powerful scent of the wet wood of the ship, since it was a rainy weekend. He did not show very strong enthusiasm, although I still have hopes that he will remember going on board and catching a glimpse of something belonging to another era entirely. This ship might not be living history, but it is pretty close, and it should be something to see for anyone interested in history, ships, or both!
Here are the dates for the duration of L’Hermione’s tour on this side of the pond:
New York, NY - July 1-4
Greenport, NY - July 6-7
Newport, RI - July 8-9
Boston, MA - July 11-12
Castine, ME July 14-15
Lunenburg, NS July 18
Lafayette’s l’Hermione Sails Again in America
http://www.consulfrance-newyork.org/L-Hermione-met-les-voiles
No comments:
Post a Comment