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programming on american history every weekend on cspan3. follow us on twitter for information on our schedule of upcoming programs and to keep up with the latest history news. >> each week american history tv's american artifacts takes you to museums and historic places. next, we travel to witness the tall sailing ship hermione. the ship is a replica of the military frigate that carried general marquis de lafayette in 1780 with a message from king louis xvi. promising french soldiers to help in the war. the original hermione participated in the siege of yorktown in 1781. the journey was the beginning of a trip up the east coast of the u.s. with stops in major cities along the way. over the next hour, we will see remarks from american and french government representatives interviews with crew members

and we will observe scenes and music from the arrival ceremony. when we arrived on june 5, hermione was just emerging from the fog. [cannon fire]

[cheering]

[cannon fire] ["la marseillaise" playing] ♪

[applause] ["star-spangled banner" playing] ♪

[applause]

>> platoon, forward. left, left, left, right. forward. left. left, left, right. left, left, left, right. left, left, left, right. tom: i am tom shepherd, chairman of the york county board of supervisors. it is an honor to welcome you to the beautiful waterfront as we celebrate he arrival of the hermione. a replica of the ship that brought the marquis de lafayette

to america to assist us in our fight for independence in 1780. we are here to welcome the captain and crew of the hermione, and the drive to achieve which is evident when you look at the pier and see the hermione dock. however, we are also here to celebrate a man of spirit, determination, and vision. i am speaking of marquis de lafayette. [applause] when he sailed on the hermione in 1780, the marquis was no stranger to american shores. he fought as a member of the continental army in the early years of our struggle. on his return in april, the marquis brought with him not only the promise from the king of france of additional support

in the form of 6000 troops and seven ships, but also an enduring friendship that has lasted centuries. the marquis resumed his place alongside general washington and the continental army and was among troops, setting siege on the battle headquarters of yorktown in 1781. as you walk through yorktown you are walking in the footsteps of our nation's first president. and the many frenchmen to whom we owe our thanks. for example, the marquis de lafayette, the comte de grasse the comte de rochambeau. and so many others. not only were these french heroes fighting in yorktown, but the hermione participated in the naval blockade and assault on british forces from the york river. today we celebrate the french

who gave so much during the forming of our nation. the original hermione and their combined legacies. but we also celebrate the small group of individuals who first raised the possibility of reconstructing a replica of that ship called the frigate of freedom and sailing her across the atlantic. we celebrate the people across the globe who have raised the funds for building her, and we celebrate the craftsmen who toiled to construct a magnificent sailing vessel. finally, we celebrate the captain and crew of the hermione for a successful ocean crossing. together, you have made history, and you deserve to be recognized. [applause]

tom: while we know the ship was built in modern times, to us it feels as though we are welcoming home an old friend. at this time, i would like to introduce our governor. it is my pleasure to introduce his excellency the honorable terence r. mcauliffe, the 72nd governor of the commonwealth of virginia. [applause] governor mcauliffe: thank you. good morning, everybody. all of our folks who come from france, ambassador, everybody else, congressmen, welcome to the greatest state in the united states of america, the commonwealth of virginia. commonwealth of virginia. [applause] and if some of you poor souls are from some of those other 49

states, use this as an opportunity to find a home and move here, because we truly are the greatest. if you're not, at least spend all the money while you are here. welcome to virginia. captain, it is great to be with you. dorothy and i had an opportunity to tour the ship. she is spectacular. there are 79 crew. the original crew is 250. it is amazing what you can do with modern technology, but it was a crew of 79. there were 50 volunteers on that ship. i know we gave the captain a great round of applause. let's hear it for the crew that came over here. [applause] and captain, we thank your wisdom and forethought for coming to yorktown first, to the commonwealth. he will head off to mount vernon

and then to the tiny little states like maryland, and massachusetts, those irrelevant states. we commend your on your brilliant choice of states to come to first. the original frigate that carried marquis de lafayette to america was built in 1779. it had a 32 gun artillery. it did not have italian engines that the frigate is packing today. at the time, that ship could outsail any ship on the seas. it was the pride of the french navy and the british navy was jealous of that ship. [applause] remember, i am irish heritage. for americans, the arrival of this fantastic ship came with the promise of more ships and more frenchmen to fight

alongside us on our cause and fight for liberty. those men and ships were essential to our victory at yorktown. this was great news for general george washington, particularly because the pledge of assistance was brought by one of his closest friends. the marquis first came to america in 1777 when he was just 19 years old. he was orphaned as a toddler. the marquis soon developed an affectionate bond with general washington, who was 25 years his senior and did not have any children of his own. during the revolution, the marquis wore the blue uniform of a major general in the continental army. he was more than just a young aristocrat making a statement, as washington quickly recognized. washington shared with the marquis even the most sensitive information that was withheld from other military officers. and the marquis kept a close eye on the troops.

in one case, warning the general that a particular officer was being extremely obnoxious in virginia. the letters and their friendship continued long after the revolution was over. indeed, general washington confided that he typically answered the marquis's letters as soon as they arrived. the marquis worried about the struggles of a new nation trying to define itself. washington worried about the young frenchman's safety in the turmoil that was going on in europe. the marquis pestered washington to please accept the presidency, while washington insisted that the office of the presidency "has no enticing charms." if they only knew. there were letters welcoming the marquis' new son who was named george washington lafayette. in another letter, washington

admitted he was reluctant to visit his friend in paris because he did not speak the language and feared the french women would find him awkward. the two men even corresponded over their experience and subjects of the famous french sculptor rodan. and today, both of those priceless works are in our rotunda in the capital in richmond. the two men debated serious issues confronting our new nation. the marquis tried to persuade washington to free his own slaves in an effort to encourage a national emancipation. washington agreed with the goal but did not believe the country would accept it. he let this crucial opportunity pass without acting. the marquis was brave enough and wise enough to see in his new friend and this nation a greater good than we were able to see in ourselves. we settled for less.

to the marquis' great sadness for far too many years. i would like to think that today , washington and his good friend would be pleased at the progress since this ship first arrived in america. but they would also urge us to continue our work, folks, to make this commonwealth and this nation the place where all virginians and all americans have equal opportunities for success. six months before the marquis set sail on his return to america, washington wrote "your forward zeal in the cause of liberty, your singular attachment to this infant world and your strict and uniform -- friendship for me has ripened the first impressions of esteem into such perfect love our gratitude that neither time nor absence can ever impair." the ship we welcome today to virginia is the product of 17 years of dedication to the cause of liberty by so many individuals on both sides of the

atlantic. it is also attribute to a friendship between two men and two countries that has lasted for centuries. we celebrate this day with the assurance that we are both stronger and better because of that friendship. thank you for being here today. and to the french, thank you for all you have done for united -- for the united states of america. thank you. [applause] tom: now, ladies and gentlemen, i would like to introduce mr. miles young. he is president of the friends of the hermione-lafayette in america. he lives in new york, his adopted home. when he speaks you will understand what i mean by "adopted."

as chairman and c.e.o. of ogilvie & mather, one of the world's largest and most storied advertising companies in the world. mr. young? [applause] mr. young: your excellency, the governor, chairman shepherd, the story of the hermione operates at many levels. at one level, it symbolizes a tipping point in history. the journey which brought the news to general washington of wholehearted french support to the american insurgents. how appropriate it is that the hermione has arrived in yorktown because that news led to the decisive presence of the expedition here at the end game of the revolutionary war where the hermione on the sea side and lafayette on the land side were reunited. but at another level, it is the story of modern-day audacity.

lafayette's motto why not describes this well. why not build an authentic replica of a french 18th century frigate and sail it to the u.s.? that was the question a few visionaries asked. almost 20 years ago. i'm an historian by academic background. i read history. i suppose i could be called a businessman right now. i profoundly believe in the value of the humanities and the importance of history. for people who say that we only need science graduates, in my view, they are very wrong. history is a living thing but has to be worked at and taught. there was a great danger this story was being forgotten. most americans do not remember that there were more french

people fighting here in yorktown than americans. they don't remember that it was the support of louis the 16th and trusted the message from lafayette to washington that was a tipping in the war that would point otherwise be lost. bringing those things back to public memory is fascinating. when the project was originally conceived, it was always imagined she would sail to america, to repeat the voyage which the original hermione made to fight here. the ship took a long time to build. but at some stage in the last third of the period, an american group started to cohere. i came in two years ago. since then, we set up committees in 11 ports. our job was to raise money, we have had to raise about $3 million. we have had to arrange the port visits with the government.

we've had to create an educational and cultural program around it, create a website, social media program, and all the things that make it into a genuine public history project. it started in people's minds in the late 1990's because the original hermione had fought here. it went back to france. then went to the indian ocean and it fought in the battles of madras. returned to france. fought in the revolutionary war. then it foundered on a reef off the coast of rick to need -- brittany. then in the late '90's, the remains were found again but they were not sufficiently extant to permit some kind of raising. it was enough to provoke an idea, why couldn't it be reconstructed? rochefort is the original french naval dock. the first hermione was built in rochefort. the mayor of rochefort saw this as an economic regeneration

project. the idea developed there. it got some backers outside, the famous author became the figurehead for the organization. and, of course, actually, the mayor was right. 4.5 million visitors came into rochefort and put the town back on the map. it is an example of how heritage can pay. it was very difficult to build because some of these skills are not very obvious. the decision had been made that this should be an authentic replica. so, there were some concessions. there is an engine, there is radar. some metal bolts in the sub structure of the hull, but otherwise very little compromise. you have to find thousands of french oak trees, and they have to be shaped like this.

in the old french forests, they trained to grow the right way along water courses, so they would naturally bend. then you need a tree that grows like that and has a joint like that. and you only use the section. how do you find those in today's world? it took 10 years to find the french oak that made the ship what it is. some other skills have disappeared or it -- some other skills have disappeared. some of the skills came from sweden. sweden does have the tradition of building -- otherwise, a lot of skills around rochefort, the sail making, the rigging, for instance, the cannons were found in the original foundry. so, it took time, because the decision was made not to compromise. >> how can you crystallize the importance of lafayette for

american history? mr. young: at one level, he was an american founding father but it does not tell you the guts of the thing. he was a crazy youth who had the idea that the american war was a good, just war. came across as a teenager, befriended washington. he then fought gallantly. he became something of a confidant of washington. washington trusted him using him as a spy within the camp to tell him if other people were being defeatist or gossiping or whatever. then washington and trusted him -- entrusted him to go on a lobbying mission back to france. lafayette's motto was why not? i have this sense of nothing is impossible. an enormous sense of self-confidence. that can-do spirit, something like the american spirit, the american dream. so, he operates at a number of

different levels, at the more normal level but also something spiritual, that he could defy all odds in a way. >> [singing] ♪ [singing in french] ♪ >> hip hip! >> hoorah! mr. young: he had a checkered life after that. he was a personality in the revolution. in some sense, he was quite famous and admirable. he was present at the fall of the bastille. he sent george washington a key

that sits in the hallway in mount vernon. at another point in the revolution, he bottomed out. he wasn't quite sure where he was. he lost the king and queen their lives. he could have protected them. they had protected him. he did not come out so well in the revolution. he went to prison. he was captured by the austrians, terrible conditions. he had an amazing life. adrienne went and joined him with their two daughters. she got ill and eventually died. they went back to france. napoleon shoved them off into the countryside. did not want anything to do with them, wanted to keep them quiet. he had no love for the restored monarchy, but when louis philippe came to power, the lafayette had a second period of greatness.

he was instrumental as a liberal. he came back to the states in 1824. had a heroic visit here. i'm in the advertising business, and this is one of the great marketing events. the branding of lafayette on his return to the states. you could buy everything from a shoe brush to a comb with his name on it. i think there were over 40 towns or cities named after lafayette. so, he became at that point an american icon. and america recognized the amazing role he had played. >> [singing]

>> in every nations, the sailors have different terms and songs. there are songs to rise, songs for departures and arrivals. and so we choose between hundreds, we chose five. there was one we preferred and have a lot of pleasure to sing it. we sing it when we were running out in passage. the thing about sailors songs is you can sing it very loud. you can yell it. if you sing not very well, it's ok. >> [singing in french]

[cheering] [applause] >> how did you find yourself doing this? >> i visited the ship once. they told, we are looking for a crew. for me, that was a dream because i grew up in a city in brittany by the sea. this is a primitive city. it is a stone sitting with one port. i spent hours and hours with that ship in mind. looking at the sea and dreaming to see one coming. she came. it's a kid's dream that becomes true. >> were you on the crossing? >> yes.

i boarded in spain. i did 34 days, four days better than the first hermione, that but she did not have engines we had. so, equality between the two. >> i am from france. i'm 32. i spent the past eight years living in canada. every time i took the plane back and forth, i thought one day i will be a real immigrant and come by boat. i never imagined i would do that on a tall ship. a square rigging tall ship. i had everything to learn. i learned absolutely everything on that boat.

it is amazing how much we have learned and accomplished in such a short amount of time. >> from central pennsylvania. one of the really amazing things about sailing ships in this period are ships are machines moved by human hands. everything we do we are doing by hand. we make the wrote, we tie the rigging. we test the sails, go aloft. it's all human speed across the ocean. this ship is a little bit faster than 2 1/2 knots. we have her cooking along a bit. still, it is not much faster than human speed. today's lifestyle is very fast. we are trying to do things and catch up with people. there is none of that at sea. we are just going. we are in our own community and we have to learn old things

again. >> and you don't have a choice but live in the moment. and that is something we rarely have the luxury to do when we are on land. >> of course, from historical standpoint, the importance of this ship because it could've , been any ship that was rebuilt but they chose the hermione because of lafayette and his relationship to the states and the importance of their relationship with washington. and i think it's a tremendous moment for all of us particularly those i call franco-americans, to understand that great things happened from this ship being built, being sailed across by the 320 that were aboard that ship when she came, to the understanding that those two countries came to. the thing that came to me which i had not learned in school was that lafayette was 19 when he first crossed the ocean. he taught himself english on the

crossing. to return this ship, it was astounding to me what a young individual like him, with opportunities granted that he had, was able to accomplish. to my children, i extend that lesson and i hope that people reflect about what's possible to accomplish with a small number of people and a small number of young people if they set their mind to it. >> it is about accomplishing your dreams. >> yes. yeah, a lot of people on board had reason to do this. >> and sometimes you do not allow yourself to dream or to dream that you would accomplish your dreams, actually. that is what we are doing here. that is a good lesson for everyone. >> so, what made you get involved in sailing hermione from france to america? >> because i'm from the place.

so rochefort is near to that place. i saw the ship building. i saw the, the skeleton. the whale, the naked -- >> a naked whale skeleton? >> yes. i was already thinking i would like to sail in that ship. i applied very early. applied again, and the ship was getting up. i applied again. it worked. it's great. i didn't believe it. >> like, why not? >> if you don't ask -- he will never have. >> just like lafayette. >> true. it's a pleasure to be part of that. >> it's an honor to have you here and your whole ship's

company. >> everybody is so happy to visit the u.s.a. >> for me, it has been a dream that has taken 40 years to accomplish. i wanted to cross the atlantic for that long, and when the opportunity to crew came around, i started to train for it. i started to learn more about square rigors i had never sailed on before. for me, this was a goal to accomplish and i feel great that i am here. >> what is it like being in the middle of the atlantic on a ship like this? >> it gives you a lot of time to think and a lot of time to reflect upon what you do during the rest of the time you are ashore. it is also an opportunity to get to know the group aboard. the community is fascinating to watch it evolve and find the understanding that people come to, the 80 people aboard, how you are going to run the ship

and how you are going to work with each other to make it an enjoyable experience. and it does. we've created strong bonds, strong friendships that i know will last for a very long time. [creaking] >> [speaking french] >> we had some storms. not so strong, the strongest was 45 knots. at that time, everybody was so excited. we are the weather now! ok let's fight. , and go to tie the sails.

it was great. yes. >> [man speaking french] >> no, there were no women aboard the original ship. i know there used to be women on ships that were going to cape horn. wives, actually. but they were not working to maneuver the ship. it's pretty, it's pretty cool that there are women on this ship today. we are, um, 33% of the crew is

made of women, yes. and the captain usually works, his mate is a woman as well. i know he likes that because it calms the crew. i think it's easier to manage a crew not made just out of men. for too long. >> [singing in french]

tom: now it gives me great pleasure, representing france, i'm delighted to introduce minister royale, the minister of ecology, sustainable development and energy. she'd held the position since 2014. madame royale has also occupied several ministerial posts between 1992 and 2000. she chaired the region of france from april 2004 to 2014 and has remained a regional counselor since 2014. may, she holds a degree in economics and was the runner-up to the french presidency in 2007. madame royale. [applause]

mme. royale: governor, president shepherd, congressman whitman, captain, mr. ambassador de france. [speaking french] ladies and gentlemen, i am very happy to join you here today in welcoming the hermione on behalf of the president of the french republic and the french government. and as minister in charge of the sea and sustainable development. may i add how proud i am that this extraordinary adventure came to fruition in part thanks to the support of my region. today, a dream becomes reality.

a dream of thousands of the volunteers, led by a man involved for more than 10 years. a dream of territories and their citizens. and the city of rochefort. a dream for 50 small corporations who specialized in all the handcraft needed to rebuild the ship the way it was in 1780. the cabinetry, the sales, the ironwork, and the foundry of guns. a dream for four million visitors to the site of the building over the last 10 years. a dream for the students whom i

asked to make the furniture for the ship. a dream we want all our american friends to share. thanks to the dedication of mike young and his team. many thanks to yorktown for its warm welcome. bravo to the hermione crew. to its captain. to its experienced sailors and to each of the 100 young volunteers. lafayette was hardly 20 years old when he crossed the atlantic for the first time to side with the american insurgents. in paris, he pleaded for the cause of the country he would forever consider his second homeland. he returned on board hermione, bringing with him the good news -- the imminent arrival of troops and warships sent by

france. the victory of yorktown obtained by the americans and french troops fighting together sealed the fate of the war. upon returning to france in 1782, lafayette shared his admiration of american institutions. he named his son george washington and christened one of his daughters virginie in homage to the valiant virginians. the voyage of hermione was the pivotal moment that founded this fraternal alliance between the united states and france. an alliance that never failed. each time, vital stakes were at play.

first, the cause of freedom in the new world. then in two different conflicts, the liberation of france and of europe. as president of the marced, the new hermione sailed off the coast of france. for more than two centuries, the united states and france have stood united in freedom we owe to one another. from the bastille where a -- from the battlefields where a revolution was won, to the beaches where the liberation of the continent began, generations of our people have defended the ideals that guide us overcoming , the darkness of oppression and injustice with the light of liberty and equality time and again.

now, mr. governor -- [applause] mme. royale: i bring you the -- i will bestow on you the rights of men and citizens that i gave to the crew when she sailed last april. this founding text for our republic was largely inspired by your declaration of independence. it was lafayette who first proposed to our constituent assembly in 1789 that it adopt the declaration of rights. i wanted to symbolically bring this important text to the land

that gave its initial impetus. as lafayette wrote, "for freedom to thrive, men will always have to rise up and shake off in difference and resignation. long live our friendship." thank you. [applause] [applause] ♪

[fife and drum corps playing] ♪ [cheering] [applause] ♪

[music ends] >> [speaking french]

>> how did you prepare to do this trip? >> as i'm working, i cannot be here every day and every time. so, when i have got time, when i have holidays or weekends, i come to rochefort, which is about 400 kilometers from paris. i camped nearby with other members of the crew. we spent some days preparing the ship for the crossing, making sizes, making knots, and building the rigging and and so on. you learn like that. the sailors, they show you. we have an exceptional crew. regular crew. they are great, great, great. we have a swedish bosun.

who worked on a ship like that in sweden. the ship called the goteborg. he is able to draw everything. at the same time, artists, crew members, animators, so you learn very fast with people like him. >> my day job is sailing ships like this. i worked with a man who designed this rigging. for 8-10 months i worked with him in rochefort. a few weeks before sailing, i was invited to come aboard the ship and sail across the atlantic. >> how difficult is the work? >> it depends what age you are. and the weather. what you said earlier was important, it is the teamwork that, because individually and even in a group of 5 or 6 people, you go up on one of these yards and it will not happen.

the mainsail -- when it gets wet, it's almost a ton. it takes 30 to people working 35 together to furl that sail. i think it is the ability to communicate clearly with each other as to what you are going to do next. it is one of the hardest things to do especially when the wind is blowing. you use sign language, body language. that was one thing i did not anticipate. it's very, very important. >> we have lots of different jobs on the ship. do you have a favorite job to do on the ship? >> good question. >> yeah, furling the highest sail on the ship. you are 47 meters up in the air.

there is nothing around you but air and you are standing on this 20 millimeter foot rope. your life is depending on the ropes. it's quite, for me, it's calming to be in that place. >> the only moment of alone time you can get on board is also when you're on the watch. and you're at the end of the balustrade and you are by yourself, sometimes at night. you spent just by yourself. one hour you are outside the ship, actually. and it's beautiful, and it is quiet. yeah, that's a nice moment as well. >> i concur.

i would only add for me, helming , the ship was a wonderful experience because she is so reactive so gentle at the helm. i did not expect that from a ship this big. really, the visibility you have from the after deck to the port of the ship, it distracted me from the job of being a helmsman. i am supposed to follow a straight course, but i am looking ahead and want to go up the next wave. she sails beautifully, and helming was a lot of fun. >> why is it important to do what you are doing? >> well, it's quite a difficult question because it is a special relationship between the two countries, i think. and this, what hermione materializes is that personally

i hope that people will just dream, they are just going to feel they want to ship, to come here, because it is possible. we have three americans on board. they can do it. i hope the kids will dream. i hope their parents will know the american culture all over the world. and it's, to me, it is more than the relation, the diplomatic question between france and u.s.a. it is really more than that. cultural and just for minutes, a minute of pleasure now. some people live half times. i don't know what it is in america, but in france when we talk about hermione, they are just smiling. this really pleases us. that's why.