Abstract
The entire Winter/Spring 2023 issue of Newport History commemorates the presence of the French military in Newport during the Revolutionary War. As one historian has noted, “jubilation was in short supply” when the French fleet under Admiral de Ternay arrived in Newport harbor on July 11, 1780. The warships carried thousands of French soldiers commanded by General Rochambeau, coming to the aid of the American cause. Still reeling from the British occupation of 1776-1779, the town’s residents were wary of an influx of soldiers with a language, religion, and culture that differed from their own. Within a few days, however, Newport staged a grand illumination to welcome the officers and troops of their ally. Rochambeau’s army remained in Newport for almost a year, departing in June 1781.
Recommended Citation
Stevens, Elizabeth
(2023)
"Editor's Note,"
Newport History: Journal of the Newport Historical Society: Vol. 98:
Iss.
287, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/newporthistory/vol98/iss287/1