Join WICE in a fascinating tour de force of the places in Paris that are intimately associated with the American Revolution.
Through a combination of four PowerPoint presentations and three walks—based on the book "Paris: Birthplace of the U.S.A."—WICE members will gain an in-depth understanding of the critical role France played in the success of the American Revolution.
This first walk begins in Autueil and ends approximately three hours later on the Champs Elysées. During the walk we will visit and discuss the hotel where John Adams and family lived 1784-85 and the historical marker for his eccentric neighbor Madame Helvetius, who was a great friend of Benjamin Franklin.
We’ll metro to Passy to see where Benjamin Franklin lived and had his office, print shop, and research station for studies with electricity. Then we'll visit Square Yorktown (near Place du Trocadéro) with its handsome statue of Benjamin Franklin to honor the Victory for the Americans in the Revolutionary War. An important monument here lists all the French soldiers and officers who died at Yorktown.
We’ll see the magnificent statue of George Washington at Place d’Iéna, learn why the statue of Rochambeau nearby is pointing west, explore the many mementos at Place des Etats-Unis, and see where Thomas Jefferson lived as America’s second Ambassador to the Court of Versailles.
At the end of the walk we can settle into a local café and discuss what we saw.
Note: Participants will gather at 13:30 at metro Michel Ange-Auteuil, street level, on rue d’Auteuil (sortie 2). The organizer, Maryjo Padgett, will have on a gray silky scarf. After the first site visit, participants will take the metro to Passy, so please be prepared to provide your own metro ticket. From Passy participants will walk to all other locations, ending the day’s tour at the Champs-Elyseés. Altogether, we expect the walk to take about three hours, so please be prepared with comfortable walking shoes, water, umbrella, the usual things you need in Paris.
About the Series
This series is open to WICE members, and registration is required. The cost is €10 apiece for individual talks / walks, or €50 for the entire series of seven talks / walks.
About the Organizer
Maryjo Padgett is an avid student of the "American Revolution in Paris" and since 2013 has led this talk / walk combination for the U.S. Embassy and the American Library in Paris. She is donating all proceeds from this series to WICE.
