Happy 4th of July and Happy Bastille Day (July 14)

Since these two Revolutionary holidays are so close together I thought I’d give a shout out to each one today. 

The United States and France have been allies for a long time and I for one am glad of the relationship.  Did you know a smaller version of Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty sits in the Seine in the shadow of the Eiffel tower?  It’s one of my favorite sights.

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Most of us are aware of the US involvement and help in liberating France from Germany during WWII.  Just think D-day, the Allied Invasion and Normandy.

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But did you know that France was instrumental in helping the US  defeat the British during the Revolutionary War which secured our independence as a free country?

France had been secretly aiding the American colonies since 1776 because they were angry at Britain over Colonial territory lost during the French and Indian War.  Ben Franklin was sent to France by the Continental Congress to secure a formal alliance.  King Louis XVI approved financial assistance to the American colonists only 4 days after Franklin requested it.  By 1777 France’s support had deepened and they provided more military armaments and loans to the colonists.  In 1778 Ben Franklin was back in France signing the Treaty of Amity and Commerce which recognized the US as an independent nation and promoted trade between France and America.  The Treaty of Alliance was also signed which made the US and France allies with the French deciding to back the US until we had full independence from Great Britain.  During the Revolution France sent as estimated 12,000 soldiers and 32,000 sailors to the American war effort.  The most famous was the Marquis of Lafayette who became good friends with our commander in chief George Washington.

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In France, Bastille Day is a national holiday celebrated on July 14 to commemorate the beginning of the French Revolution with the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération on July 14, 1790.

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So here’s to two great countries who offer the world much in art, architecture, décor, style, beauty and class.  I am grateful for our continued camaraderie.

I’m proud to be an American.  God Bless America and Vive la France!

I hope all of you have a wonderful 4th of July.  Don’t eat too many hotdogs or too much apple pie tomorrow!!! LOL  I can’t wait for the fireworks!

Kim