A French Engineer's Map Depicting the Early Military Operations of the American Revolution

In 1777, French army officer Michel Capitaine du Chesnoy arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, with the marquis de Lafayette. During the American Revolution, Capitaine du Chesnoy served with Lafayette as both his aide-de-camp and mapmaker, producing several important plans of key engagements. In addition to his maps serving as vital tools for French officers who were strangers to the geography of the United States, Capitaine du Chesnoy’s maps also became an important propaganda tool. The Institute’s historical programs manager, Andrew Outten, discusses one of Capitaine du Chesnoy’s important maps, Carte du Théatre de la Guerre dans l’Amérique Septentrionale, pendant les Années 1775, 76, 77 et 78. Produced in 1779 for King Louis XVI, the map was used by Lafayette to bolster his petition for increased support and expansion of French military operations in America. This presentation will discuss the significance of the map, its features, and the overall role it played in the Franco-American alliance.

This Lunch Bite accompanies our upcoming exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic, on view through December 31, 2024.

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