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, Mary Jo 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 is a fundraising activity for WICE, and the series is open to all interested persons. The cost is €20 apiece for individual talks / walks, or €100 for the entire series of seven talks / walks.
Note: The dates, times, and location are provisional until the autumn trimester begins on 16 September 2024.
About the Organizer
Mary Jo Padgett is a journalist, teacher, former elected official, public relations consultant, and independent historian, with a special interest in the French connection to the American Revolution.
While living in Paris she was introduced to the book "Paris: Birthplace of the U.S.A." She has used this book as the foundation for walks and presentations, which she has conducted since 2013 for the American Library in Paris, the American Embassy, private groups, and WICE.
She lives in North Carolina, and does presentations at Lifelong Learning programs at community colleges, Furman University, Wofford College, and others. She is donating all proceeds from this series to WICE.
