ANNOUNCEMENTS
of
COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS

THE FINAL COMMEMORATIVE EVENT CELEBRATING THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE
To commemorate the signing of the Peace Treaties at Paris and Versailles on 3 September 1783, the French chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution are sponsoring an Exceptional Celebration in Paris, 1 through 5 September 2008. The ceremonies planned offer American and French participants occasions to relive this shared history and celebrate the official Peace of 1783 observance, while visiting beautiful palaces and chateaux, historical museums and attending gala parties and dinners. Detailed program, and registration form, can be accessed either by going to an Adobe Acrobat file posted on the NSSAR website at: http://www.sar.org/news/FranceSocietyInvitation.pdf or by clicking on the following link to the Peace of 1783 website: http://www.polynome.fr/peace1783.

WASHINGTON-ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE (W3R) COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS
Scheduled for the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution.

A 'working' webpage that posts the status of planned and completed commemorations is at the National W3R Associations website. See Schedule of Events for W3R Events & Commemorations at http://www.w3r-us.org
Click on 'Activities' [link in the left side panel], then 're-enactments' [link listed at top of frame page], then 'schedule of events' [link found in the text.]

A complementary website is maintained by the National Society Sons of the American Revolution Liaison Committee for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (SAR-W3R). This highly informative and dynamically expanding website provides considerable historical background relating to the W3R events, detailed lists of historical and current commemorative events, and much more. The SAR-W3R Liaison Committee's gateway page is "American Revolution and France," at: http://www.rsar.org/current/w3r/

Commemorative event to honor all French soldiers who served during the American Revolution, including those who died of disease or battle wounds in the United States, and some who died during the long voyage from France in 1780. They lie near a monument dedicated in 1882, on the 100th anniversary of the nearby French encampment as the troops marched north to Boston, from where they sailed to the Caribbean or to France. This event was on the 225th anniversary of the encampment.

The commemorative event is described at webpage of: Commemoration of French soldiers who died in support of the American Revolution.

W3R-US participated in the birthday commemoration at Lafayette College, Easton (PA). Throughout the 2007-08 academic year Lafayette College will celebrate Lafayette's birth with special events. Throughout the 2007-08 academic year Lafayette College will celebrate with special events focused on the connection between a free society and an educated citizenry in today's world.

See their Web site: Honoring the Legacy and Ideals of the Marquis de Lafayette at http://www.lafayette.edu/250/

Also, Cornell University, which holds "the leading archive of documents" concerning Lafayette and his career will place special focus on Lafaytte at their website: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/FRENCHREV/Lafayette/exhibit/

Meridian International Center, in association with The Embassy of France, presented a two-day symposium in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Le Marquis de Lafayette provided a unique opportunity to take "a fresh look" at "the exceptional relationship between the people of America and France." The symposium gathered a distinguished assembly of Lafayette scholars in France and the United States.

The commemorative event is described at webpage of: http://www.meridian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=135&Itemid=135

Two parades in Philadelphia, PA. passed Independence Hall and continued to Washington Square for a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution.

At Rochambeu's grave site, Thor�-la-Rochette in France, wreaths were placed by Dr. Jacques Bossiere (Founding Chair of the W3R-US) and Col. Serge Gabriel (member of the Souvenier Fran�ais and the W3R-US Regional Vice-Chair for the Northeast.

See the National W3R Associations website at http://www.w3r-us.org.

As part of commemorating the 225th Anniversary of the 1781 Yorktown Victory a new "Washington-Rochambeau Route to Victory" display was dedicated on October 19, 2006, near the French Memorial, at the Yorktown National colonial Park, Virginia. An original display was erected in 1976 by a Franco-American Bicentennial Commission that no longer exists. This replacement display, and the one erected at Mount Vernon in May 2005, were the result of generous financial assistance from the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution (VADAR). The displays include a map that illustrates a ‘drive-able' route approximating the path the allied generals took between Mount Vernon and Yorktown; this route was identified as the ‘Washington-Rochambeau Route' by the Virginia General Assembly in 1980. This historic route is currently being incorporated into the ‘National Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route' (W3R) project that intends to establish a National Historic Trail along the highways of nine states and the District of Columbia, between Newport, Rhode Island and Yorktown, Virginia. The dedication program is described further at webpage of: ‘19 October 2006 Dedication of the Yorktown ‘Washington-Rochambeau Route to Victory' Display.

The AMtY marchers consist of a small group that is retracing on foot, as much as possible, the historic movement of the French Army under comte de Rochambeau from Newport (RI) to join George Washington's American Army north of New York City. From there, the re enactment march retraces the overland portion of both the American and French armies in 1781 from positions near New York City to Yorktown, Virginia, as one of the essential parts of the 1781 Yorktown Campaign. The Marchers passing through northern Virginia is a small part of an ambitious commemorative initiative described at their own website: �America's March to Yorktown (AMtY) -- 2006'.

The North Virginia activities are described at webpage of: AMtY) VISITS ALEXANDRIA and MOUNT VERNON VIRGINIA.

First-person, historical interpretation, given at historic Lloyd House, Alexandria, Virginia, on 9 September 2006. The commemorative event marked the historic September 1781 return of General Washington to his home at Mount Vernon � his first return in six-and-a-half years. His brief return visit was part of the American and French allied armies movement from their camp north of New York City to besiege Cornwallis at Yorktown.

The commemorative event is described at webpage of: COMMEMORATION of GENERAL WASHINGTON's RETURN to VIRGINIA in SEPTEMBER 1781.

In May 1781 the Allied High Command met to plan their strategic action for the coming summer. General Washington arrived at Wethersfield with Generals Knox and Duportail. Comte de Rochambeau and General Chastellux arrived around noon on 21 May. The evening of the 21st and the full day of 22 May were given to discussing the miltary options and deciding upon a campaign plan where the two alleid armies would join forces near the North [Hudson] River above New York City in an effort to dislodge the strongly fortified British position there. However, other options were addressed should the allies not be able to assemble the increase in numbers as well a naval support to effectively carry out the assault. On 23 May Rochambeau and Washington departed Wethersfiled to returned to their respective headquarters at Newport (RI) and New Windsor (NY). By late June 1781, the allied armies assembled near Phillipsburg (NY).

The celebration described at webpage of: 225th Commemoration of 1781 WASHINGTON-ROCHAMBEAU CONFERENCE, WETHERSFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

In the winter of 1780-81 the French Cavalry, under the direction of the duc de Lauzun encamped in Lebanon to winter over and prepare to join the main army led by Rochambeau in the Spring. Commanded by the duc de Lauzun, the French "Hussars" as they were called spent nearly eight months in the town of Lebanon.

The celebration described at webpage of: 225th Commemoration of LAUZUN's LEGION's Encampment, Lebanon, Connecticut.

The 2005 Newport celebration is the ‘kick-off event' began a series of planned activities though various eastern states until the finale episode marking General Cornwallis' surrender at the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781, the 225th anniversary of which will be in 2006. Very active in this celebration were: the W3R Committee of Rhode Island; the Brigade of the American Revolution (BAR), in conjunction with 'the American re-enactors of the French Army'; Rhode Island militia; and individual interpreters portraying George Washington, comte de Rochambeau, General Lafayette, and other noted military officers of the Revolutionary War era. Modern dignitaries included the French Ambassador to the United States, the President of the US Navy War College, author David Mc Cullough, and several Rhode Island officials. Events included receptions, speeches, memorial ceremonies, demonstrations of eighteenth-century military drills and civilian entertainment, as well as a symbolic re-enactment of the welcoming of Rochambeau. The celebration described at webpage of: 225th Anniversary of Rochambeau's Arrival Newport, RI.

A new ‘Washington-Rochambeau Route to Victory' display was dedicated near the entrance to historic Mt. Vernon, Virginia. The display educates the general public on Mount Vernon's role in context of the 1781 Yorktown Campaign, and reinforces the public's awareness of the important French military contribution to the winning of American Independence. The new display replaces one erected by the French-American Bicentennial Committee; the original display succumbed to the ravages of time. The display includes a map that illustrates a ‘drive-able' route approximating the path the allied generals took between Mount Vernon and Yorktown; this route was identified as the ‘Washington-Rochambeau Route' by the Virginia General Assembly in 1980. This historic route is currently being incorporated into the ‘National Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route' (W3R) project that intends to establish a National Historic Trail along the highways of nine states and the District of Columbia, between Newport, Rhode Island and Yorktown, Virginia. The dedication program is described further at webpage of: ‘13 May 2005 Dedication of Mount Vernon ‘Washington-Rochambeau Route to Victory' Display.

Members of the SAR and DAR gathered with citizens and representatives of State agencies and private organizations to dedicate a marker to the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route. The marker is the first of several in Delaware to commemorate the march of Rochambeau's troops from Connecticut to the Battle of Yorktown. This marker commemorates the fact that French troops bivouacked in Wilmington on both the march to and the march from Yorktown.

It was at Metz, in 1775, that the Marquis de La Fayette decided to commit himself to the cause of American Independence, As part of cellebratiing its sixtieth anniversary of its liberation in WWII, Metz erected a dramatic new statue of La Fayette to replace one that was destroyed in WWII. See how the city of Metz commemorated this event at: Metz celebrates 60th Anniversary of its Liberation.

Ceremonies to commemorate the surrender of Lord Cornwallis' Briitsh and 'German' troops to General George Washington's Allied American and French forces are held each year. Since 1949, the events have been sponsored by the Yorktown Day Association and co-sponsored by the National Park Service. See webpage YORKTOWN DAY 2004.

See webpage 1779 SIEGE of SAVANNAH.

Ceremonies held in France by the State Society in France of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR); as well as by various organizations in the United States. See webpage ALLIANCE DAY 2003.

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