The Hermione (pronounced ‘err-me-own’) is an exact replica of the 18th century tall ship which carried the Marquis de Lafayette to the USA in 1780 and it’ll be visiting our corner of the world this week.
In March 1780, Lafayette boarded the Hermione in Port des Barques, France and sailed across the Atlantic to Boston. The ship made it’s way down the East Coast. When Lafayette arrived in the United States, he brought news of full French military aid to George Washington which secured victory against the British. Hermione’s voyage culminated with the American-French triumph at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, ending the Revolutionary War.
Building the Hermione took 18 years and it celebrates Lafayette ~ the Hero of Two Worlds. His contribution to the success of the American Revolution is nothing short of amazing. As a wealthy French aristocrat, he easily could have lived the life of leisure but instead he traveled to the colonies and volunteered to fight against the British. He also persuaded several other French officers to join him. He lived a fascinating life and, as an American, I’m thankful he was passionate about the plight of the colonies.
The ship is also a tribute to the craftsmanship of the Poitou-Charentes region in Western France. The ship was re-created by hand using traditional tools and techniques. The 1500 irons, tackles and pins used in the rigging were made using 18th century forging methods. There are some “modern” items on the ship due to safety rules and sanitary requirements.
It was twenty years ago when a small group decided to live by Lafayette’s family motto: Cur Non which means ‘Why Not?‘. The Association Hermione-La Fayette’s mission statement, as shown on their website, is as follows:
- To evoke the spirit of “why not?” and demonstrate that given determination, anything is achievable.
- To symbolize and rekindle through the Hermione the intimate ties between France and the United States, and the spirit of liberty that sustains them.
- To celebrate the value of impeccable craftsmanship, the firm foundation of the authentic reconstruction of the Hermione.
- Through this, to create a lasting educational legacy which will be accessible to generations of young
Americans to come. - To demonstrate the inestimable value of history, to the present and the future, and to show that it can be a living force in increasing our understanding of the world.
- To bring to life the memory of Marquis de Lafayette who embodied this spirit.
The first stop for the Hermione in North America is Yorktown, Virginia. Additional ports of call include: Mount Vernon and Alexandria, Virginia;, Annapolis and Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City and Greenport, New York; Newport, Rhode Island; Boston, Massachusetts; Castine, Maine and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
The Hermione will be docked at the Alexandria City Harbor, Virginia on June 10,11 and 12. Tickets to tour the Hermione are sold out but a limited number of tickets will be distributed at 8:30 a.m. and 12 noon each day at the dock. I’m thrilled I jumped at the chance to obtain tickets when I first heard about the visit. Hoping photos of the inside of the ship will be permitted. More to come after my visit…
I love history! Thanks for sharing the background info on Lafayette and the Hermione.
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Thanks so much for stopping by. I love history too!
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[…] Regular readers may recall my earlier posting about the midnight arrival of the L’Hermione in Alexandria, Virginia about two weeks ago. The vessel, is a replica of the French frigate that brought the Marquis de Lafayette to the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. Details on its background can be found in my post here and in Patti’s “Displaced Beachbums” post here. […]
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Patti, I’ve now visited Robin’s blog and both of yours in regards to Hermione, and I enjoyed them all.
What an incredible experience, but even more so, I’m thankful to those who value history and the Why Not motto.
Thank you, as always, for providing the background information,
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Thanks Laurie! Isn’t the “Why Not” motto fabulous! I’m thinking I need to put that saying on the wall 😉
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[…] The replica, built with exacting detail to match the original frigate which played such a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, is on a goodwill tour of US cities on the east coast. Details about the ship and its journey can be found at the excellent post by Patti on her “Displaced Beachbums” blog. […]
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That sounds like so much fun. Good for you for landing tickets.
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You lucky devil! I was too late to get advance tickets. Do you have any information on when it will be arriving at Mount Vernon? I have been unable to find details on the timing.
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Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information about the stop at Mount Vernon but I do have two extra tickets for Wednesday at 3pm in Old Town if you’d like them.
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That would be fabulous! How/where shall I get them from you? Thanks so much.
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Please send me an email at summer2222222@yahoo.com and we can set up a place to meet on Wednesday in Old Town.
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