In July 1780, the French troop transport Île de France sailed into Boston harbor. Thus began 30 months of uninterrupted military French presence in Boston as the city became the most important French base in North America until Christmas Day 1782, when a fleet under Admiral Vaudreuil sailed from Boston for the West Indies carrying the comte de Rochambeau’s infantry. This talk provides an in-depth look at this little-known episode in Massachusetts and Boston history.

Partial funding for this program provided by The National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (www.W3R-US.org), trail partner to the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail.