Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route

https://www.nps.gov/waro/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%E2%80%93Rochambeau_Revolutionary_Route The Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route is a 680-mile (1,090 km) series of roads used in 1781 by the Continental Army under the command of George Washington and the Expédition Particulière under the command of Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau during their 14-week march from Newport, Rhode Island, to Yorktown, Virginia. The route is a designated National Historic Trail with interpretive literature, signs, and exhibits that describe the key role of French diplomatic, military, and economic aid to the United States during the American Revolutionary War. In 1781, General Rochambeau’s French Army joined forces with General Washington’s Continental Army to fight the British Army in Yorktown, Virginia. With the French Navy in support, the allied armies moved hundreds of miles to become the largest troop movement of the American Revolution. The effort and cooperation between the two sides led to a victory at Yorktown and secured American independence. The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail encompasses over 680 miles of land and water trails through Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia Washington Rochambeau Flag marking the trail Washington-Rochambeau NHT banner on 2nd Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. New Jersey Residents Rally to Support Future Greenway with NPS Rivers and Trails On October 1, the National Park Service’s (NPS) Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) teamed up with the Middlesex Greenway Coalition and the Metuchen Environmental Commission for a National Public Lands Day event in Metuchen, New Jersey. NPS RTCA is providing planning support to the Borough for greenway and trails development and natural resource conservation.  People standing outside next to pop-up tents. Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail e-Newsletter Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, WARO quarterly e-newsletter French Alliance Day The Continental Army's alliance with France was formalized and celebrated during the Valley Forge encampment. outdoors, soldiers, cheers, hats Sea Level Rise in the DC Area Learn about current and projected rates of sea level rise in the greater DC area, based on local water level data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) A tall white cylinder attached to a wooden pier with Hains Point in the background. Reflecting on 55 years of the National Trails System Act: A Journey Through the Establishment of National Scenic and Historic Trails In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, learn more about these significant trails and their history.

Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Massachusetts to Virginia National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior "The essential and direct End ofthe present defensive alliance is to maintain... the liberty, Sovereignty, and independence... of said united States" —from the 'Treaty of Alliance," 1778, National Archives and Records Administration France Joins the Cause * When leaders of 13 of the American colonies boldly declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, they knew that without military supplies, naval power, and money their quest would fail. At that time Great Britain possessed the greatest navy and one of the best armies in the world. Well-trained and better-equipped British forces overpowered America's Continental Army troops from the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Facing a strong enemy with so few resources forced the Americans to search for allies to aid them in their cause. Beginning in 1775, contacts were underway between the Court of Louis XVI and the patriots. France had deep ties to North America, establishing settlements there long before the French and Indian War of the 1750s. There were, however, other motives for the king's support of a colonial rebellion on a distant continent—bolstering his nation's economic and political power worldwide, as well as avenging France's loss to Great Britain in the Seven Years War. The American mission was a success. Louis XVI agreed to provide muskets, mortars, gunpowder, and cash to the new nation. In 1778 France signed a "Treaty of Alliance" with the United States of America. Their recognition of the young country as a sovereign power earned the fledgling nation respect throughout the world. French aid helped the Americans, but by March 1780 the war in the colonies was at a stalemate. France responded by sending thousands of its best soldiers across the Atlantic to help George Washington's patriots hold off the British. Their commander was a man of great experience and respect, General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau. The Long March to Independence Officers and Men The 450 officers and 5,300 men of Rochambeau's Expeditionary Forces landed on the coast of Rhode Island in July 1780. Generals Washington and Rochambeau agreed to wait until the spring of 1781 to launch a joint military offensive, so the French army spent the bitter winter camped in Newport, Rhode Island, and Lebanon, Connecticut. During that time, French officers prepared for the march that would unite them with Continental troops at the Hudson River. From there the allied forces planned to attack British General Clinton's stronghold in New York City, a few days' march to the south. The allied forces comprised a diverse group with a common goal. French troops impressed colonists with their professional military training and elegantly decorated uniforms. The Continental Army, however, included able bodies, from boys who were barely teens to men who were grandfathers. Some had been trained; others had never fired a shot. A man's social or political status often determined his rank. Although most American soldiers were of British ancestry, some descended from Germans, Africans, and American Indians. Only one black soldier served under Rochambeau but Baron von Closen, a member of Rochambeau's French army at Yorktown, noted in July 1781, "A quarter of [the American army] are Negroes, merry, confident and sturdy." Many of those African Americans who fought under Washington were freedmen and former slaves who hoped American independence would improve the status of their race. The first French forces left Newport on June 11, 1781. Moving thousands of men and animals over waterways, through unfamiliar forests, and across hilly terrain was an enormous and risky undertaking. Roads were sometimes impassable. Finally on July 4, 1781, the two armies met in Phillipsburg, New York. There was, however, a change in plans. On learning that French Admiral de Grasse was steering his warships to the Chesapeake Bay, Washington and Rochambeau decided to abandon the offensive on Clinton and head south. Allied troops departed from Phillipsburg, New York, on August 18 and arrived outside Yorktown, Virginia, on September 28. Their efforts were worthwhile. The allied victory at Yorktown proved to be a turning point in the war. American colonists, who initially greeted the French with suspicion on the 600-mile trip south from Rhode Island to Virginia in 1781, hailed them as heroes on their return trip north. The trail both armies marched is now preserved as the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route and celebrates the allies' joint labors to achieve American independence. Jean Baptiste Antoine de Verger, Soldiers in Uniform, 1781. Soldiers of the Continental Army, sketched by a French soldier at Yorktown. COURTESY A N N E S K B R O W N MILITARY C O L L E C T I O N , B R O W N UNIVERSITY "the [Ame

./ "When the news arrived here of the surrender ofLord Cornwallis, the citizens to manifest their joy, erected aflag pole near the State House, on which were hoisted theAmerican Continental Colors a little above those of the British."-oelaware's celebration reported in the Pennsylvania Packet. 1 November, 1781 Map of the route to Yorktown Washington and Rochambeau in the Siege of Yorktown, October 17th, 7781 by Louis-Charles Auguste Couder France & Independence In 1781, the American and French allies combined their armies at a pivotal turning point in the War of Independence. Under the command of General George Washington and French General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vlllleur, comte de Rochambeau, the armies marched south to lay siege to Yorktown, Vlfginia. In a decisive victory, they captured the British Army under General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis. This single campaign ensured American independence. The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail follows the routes used between 1781 and 1783 by allied American and French forces to and from the successful i-icge of Yorktown, Virginia. This network of roads and water trails winds over 700 miles through nine states and the District of ( ' olumbia. George Washington: 1732-1799 Congress chose George Washington to command the Continental Army in 1775. His strategic insight and leadership culminated in American independence. 'fake this Revolutionary Route and explore historic sites and communities that once hosted Revolutionary War soldiers. Learn the stories of people who helped pave the way to victory and an independent United States. After the war, Washington resigned his military command. He became the first President of the United States in 1789. Caesar Rodney, President of Delaware (1728-1784), commemorated on the US quarter. Hts administrative authority ensured a steady, continuous purchase and delivery of supplies before and dunng the march to Yorktown. Rodney prevented significant desertions of Continental troops and tamped down fights that broke out between Loyalists and Whigs in southern Delaware. Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay It took several days for the French and Continental troops to pass through 26 miles of Delaware on their way to Yorktown, from September 4 through September 7, 1781. Some 4,300 French soldiers alone marched through Wilmington, Delaware, along with nearly 2,000 horses, 800 oxen, close to 1,000 officer servants, over 300 waggoners, dozens of female camp assistants, equipment and baggage trains. While encamped in Wilmington, the largest town in Delaware, t hese troops more than quadrupled the population. The t roops fol lowed t he "King's Highway" (t oday's Philadelphia Pike/Route 13) into the City of W ilmington. It was the only road from the south to Philadelp hia and points north. Caesar Rodney took this road on his famous 18-hour journey on the night of July 1/2, 1776. He rode to Philadelphia to cast the crucial vote for the colonies to unanimously declare independence from Great Britain. Despite its small population, the City of Wilmington rivaled Philadelphia in the importance of its comm erce, being a major source of fine flour and destination for tobacco transported ov<>rland from "Head of Elk" (Elkton, Maryland), to be loaded on ships plying the Delaware River. Reaction to the French army's presence was mixed. Many Huguenoh, Moravians, and Quakers had fled re ligious persecution and wars in Europe to settle in Delaware, and many were pacifists. Some Delawareans had foug ht t he French previously during the French and Indian War. On the other hand, many Delawareans re membered w ith resentment the mont h-long British occupation of W ilmington in 1777. Delawareans also prized the h ard currency t hat the French used to pay for goods and services. Silver coin temporar; ly replaced fluctuating Continental dollars and state cu rrency as the state's only legal tender The main body of Continental soldiers headed southwest from W ilmington on dirt roads, arriving in Christiana on September 6, 1781. French troops passed through a day later, in two separate groups. A contingent of Continental troops had arrived a few days earlier by boat to help unload artillery, ammunition and other su pplies from boats that came up Christina Creek from the Delaw are River. Christiana was the critical staging area prior to the 10-12 mile march to Elkton, ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lffl781. ~~ The allied troops took the same overland route from Head of Elk/ Elkton through Delaware, returning from Yorktown, as they had heading south. They made their way in different groups, the Continentals during November of 1781, by land and water, and the French by land in August of 1782. The allied troops took with them more than 1,600 sick and wounded (some 14% of the French troops alone) who would rest at hospitals along the way, including the Wilmington Academy. Rochambeau's forces headed to Boston, ultimatel

Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Massachusetts to Virginia Pennsylvania National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior “ The appearance of these [French] troops far exceeds any thing of the kind before seen on this continent; and presages the happiest success to the cause of America.” —from the Philadelphia Freeman’s Journal, September 5, 1781, by editor Francis Bailey Map of the route to Yorktown ROCHAMBEAU MAP COLLECTION, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Washington and Rochambeau in the Siege of Yorktown by Louis-Charles Auguste Couder © RMN-GRAND PALAIS / ART RESOURCE, NY France & Independence In 1781, the American and French allies combined their armies at a pivotal turning point in the War of Independence. Under the command of General George Washington and French General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, the armies marched south to lay siege to Yorktown, Virginia. In a decisive victory, they captured the British Army under General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis. This single campaign ensured American independence. The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail follows the routes used between 1781 and 1783 by allied American and French forces to and from the successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia. This network of roads and water trails winds over 700 miles through nine states and the District of Columbia. Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau: 1725-1807 George Washington: 1732-1799 Congress chose George Washington to command the Continental Army in 1775. His strategic insight and leadership culminated in American independence. Take this Revolutionary Route and explore historic sites and communities that once hosted Revolutionary War soldiers. Learn the stories of people who helped pave the way to victory and an independent United States. After the war, Washington resigned his military command. He became the flrst President of the United States in 1789. A POWERFUL ALLIANCE The French nobleman and distinguished officer was appointed commander of the French Army sent to America in 1780 to fight the British. After success there, he continued his military career until 1792. Arrested in 1794 during the French Revolution, he was released later that year and retired to his estates. BOTH PORTRAITS COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Through Bucks, Philadelphia & Delaware Counties The Philadelphia Story It took nearly a week for the French and Continental armies to pass through 50 miles of Pennsylvania on their way to Yorktown, from September 1 through September 6, 1781. Some 2,700 American officers and men crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania from Trenton, along with nearly 600 horses, 300 oxen, and 40-45 women, mainly soldiers’ wives or camp assistants. The latter kept the soldiers’ apparel clean or cared for the sick and wounded. The strength of the French Army was more than double, at about 6,000 officers and men, servants, waggoners, cooks and other support personnel; 900 to 950 head of cattle; and 1,700 horses. Philadelphia, the seat of government for the young nation, played a critical role in the victory at Yorktown. The two Continental Congresses had met in Philadelphia, and the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed here. The French minister stayed in Philadelphia after the signing of the treaties of Amity and Commerce, and Alliance. These treaties recognized the independence of the United States, and secured military and diplomatic cooperation between the United States and France. The amount of food needed for the troops and their animals was enormous. During September and October 1781, Pennsylvania provided almost 270,000 rations to the Continental Army alone. Flour and foodstuffs came to Philadelphia from all over southeastern Pennsylvania, along with thousands of pounds of forage for the animals. Not even the 28,000 residents of Philadelphia could support such large numbers for long. The troops kept moving, marching an average 10-15 miles per day between encampments and usually staying for a day or less in one spot. September 2, with the French troops one day behind. The French march through the city was described as a splendid scene, with a line of troops extending nearly two miles. Ironically, 1/2 of all desertions from the French Army occurred during the march through Pennsylvania. This is, in part, because about 20% of the French Army was comprised of German-speaking soldiers who discovered friendly Germanspeaking Pennsylvanians on this part of the march. About 1/3 of Philadelphia area residents spoke German during the Revolutionary War. The main body of the Continental Army marched south from Morrisville on dirt roads, including portions of current PA Route 13. They arrived in Philadelphia on Meanwhile, several Continental units sailed down the Delaware River from Philadelphia toward Christiana, Delaware wit