On this day 250 years ago in the second-floor library of Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay of the Committee of Secret Correspondence of the Continental Congress met with Julien Alexandre Achard de Bonvouloir, an envoy from French Foreign Minister Comte de Vergennes on a secret mission to assess America’s determination to fight Britain. Francis Daymon, an immigrant from France who was employed as the librarian of Franklin’s Library Company housed in Carpenters’ Hall and as Franklin’s personal French tutor, served as the translator for the meeting as Bonvouloir spoke no English.

Sources: https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/10/the-three-documents-that-brought-france-into-the-war/; https://www.carpentershall.org/pages/year-of-the-spy-2025; https://globalphiladelphia.org/news/carpenters-hall-philadelphia-crossroads-early-american-history; https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/pennsylvania-national-parks/independence-national-historical-park-park-at-a-glance/independence-national-historical-park-historic-sites/independence-national-historical-park-carpenters-hall/; https://www.phillyvoice.com/ben-franklin-french-spy-american-revolution-philly-carpenters-hall/

On this day 250 years ago in Providence, Rhode Island, Pierre Penet and Emmanuel de Pliarne, French merchants from Cape Francais in Haiti, who also spoke no English and were on their way to Philadelphia to propose supplying arms and ammunition to the Continental Congress, wrote to thank General Washington for his assistance when they landed in Providence. As translated by Washington’s aide Stephen Moylan, an immigrant to America from Ireland, the letter read:

to return our thanks for the gracious reception, which we have received from your Excellency—will you Sir, Accept the gratefull Sentiments of our acknowledgements, and be persuaded, that dureing the Continuance of our Lives—we shall pray to the great God for the preservation of Liberty to the people of this Country & for the safety of him who at present Commands their Army.

Deign Sir we pray you, to prevail on Madam Your Lady, to accept of Some of the Fruits of our Colonies, to which we have added, one bottle of Martinique Liquers—two bottles of Ratifia three [ ] of fruit preserved in brandy—one dozen of Oranges, and fifty Small Loaves of Sugar.

We hope these Little Articles will reach your hands Safe—and that they will be regarded as testimonies of the respect—with which we have the honour to be Sir Your most H. & Obt St

Source: “Pierre Penet and Emmanuel de Pliarne to George Washington, 18 December 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-02-02-0530. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 2, 16 September 1775 – 31 December 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1987, pp. 577–578.]

And on this day 250 years ago in Watertown, Massachusetts, Joseph Hawley of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress wrote to John Adams with advice on the formation of American governments:

An American Parliament with legislative Authority over All the colonies already or that Shall be united Must be established. Until that Shall be done we Shall be liable to be divided and broken by the Arts of our intestine enemies and cunning Menoeuvers of Administration. Undoubtedly the plan Must be when formed laid before each Several Assembly or provincial Congress on the Continent and be consented to by all. The Numbers of Members each colony Shall send to that great Council Must be Settled. The Same time of election Must be fixed for All, and the term or period for which the Members Must be chosen must be determined. May God prevent Septennial Parliaments. Nay I hope they will be Annual.

All the Colonies I hope will as soon as possible assume Popular forms of Government and indeed become several little republicks. I freely own Myself a republican and I wish to See all Government on this Earth republican. No other form is a Security for right and virtue.

Although little remembered today, Joseph Hawley was one of the most prominent Patriots in Massachusetts before the Revolution and an early advocate for American Independence. He had been elected to represent Massachusetts in the First Continental Congress but due to illness was unable to make the trip to Philadelphia. John Adams was then elected to replace Hawley.

As a side note, there is some irony that the two most well-known members of the Continental Congress today, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were each elected to replace more prominent Patriots who were unable to serve. We should not forget that Joseph Hawley was also one of our Founding Fathers.

Sources: “Joseph Hawley to John Adams, 18 December 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-03-02-0191. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 3, May 1775 – January 1776, ed. Robert J. Taylor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1979, pp. 368–370.]; http://www.historic-northampton.org/highlights/hawley.html