Tampa Chapter

Sons of the American Revolution

February 2014

Contents

Meeting announcement

Revolution History note

Program Schedule

Misc. reminders and information

The January meeting of the Tampa Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution will be on Saturday, February 15 at the Piccadilly Cafeteria, located at 11810 Dale Mabry Highway North, Tampa, Florida (813-963-1660). The meeting starts at noon but many members arrive early for a time of conversation and fellowship. The speaker for the meeting will be Rand Scholet of Clearwater, Florida. He is the founder of The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society or “THE AHA SOCIETY." In recent years, he has dedicated his life to reading, researching, and analyzing what our Founding Fathers were able to accomplish, and how. The scope of his analysis included the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Constitutional periods, plus the first seven U.S. Presidential terms of office. This period of immersion led him to the discovery of “The Essence of Alexander Hamilton’s Greatness” - which was defined in two concise statements, along with the associated proofs, that Alexander Hamilton was Washington’s Indispensable Partner™ and America’s Indispensable Founder™.

American Revolution Notes

On February 6, 1778, the American delegation in France (led by Benjamin Franklin) signed The Treaty of Alliance with France. It created a military alliance between the United States and France against Great Britain. The Treaty of Alliance required that neither France nor the United States agree to a separate peace with Great Britain, and that American independence be a condition of any future peace agreement. In addition to the Treaty of Alliance, the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France was signed on February 6, 1778, promoting trade and commercial ties between the two countries.

The Treaty was delivered to Congress on May 2^nd and formally ratified on May 4, 1778. After being informed about the Treaty of Alliance with France, Gen. Washington wrote to the Continental Congress in a letter dated May 1, 1778, that "no event was ever received with a more heart felt joy." A few days later, Washington celebrated the new alliance with France by issuing a General Order to the Continental Army that stated, "Upon a signal given, the whole Army will Huzza! 'Long Live the King of France.'

While most people think only of the military aid that France provided as a result of the treaty - arms (especially bayonets and artillery), ammunition, naval assistance and, eventually troops - a main part of the treaty, and one of the hardest to negotiate, was the part prohibiting France from signing a separate peace treaty with England and requiring that independence of the United States be a pre-condition to treaty negotiations. During the peace negotiations which lasted from late 1781 into 1783, England did its best to severe this part of the treaty. To their credit, the French negotiators held firm and refused a separate deal.

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PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Below is the tentative program schedule for spring 2014. As always send along any suggestions for speakers.

February Alexander Hamilton

March USO of Tampa

April ROTC Recognition

May Victory Ship and Museum

Park and Museum

Misc. Reminders and notes

National Society Annual Congress (Greenville, SC)

July 18-24; www.sar.org

Chapter Website—Remember you can find information about the chapter and programs on the chapter website. http://www.patriot-web.com/

One of the duties of the Chapter Chaplain is to send cards to our members that are sick. If you know of anyone that I need to send a card to, please mention it at our next meeting. Another duty is to send a sympathy card to the family of a member who has passed away.

Jack C. Bolen

Chaplain

Chapter officers and committee chairman are encouraged to send any pertinent information they wish included in the newsletter to the editor.