My 5x great grandfather captained a ship in the vanguard of the French fleet in this battle and his brother was an officier on an other ship. Might be our ancestors met !!

My 5x Great Grandfather was an ensign abord the Scipion, rearguard of the French fleet at the Chesapeake. He probably did not see a lot of action but he left us an interesting account of a naval combat against isolated English ships in the West Indies.

18 children 😳

aaron mckaig people like to downvote just to go against the grain. If it makes you feel better, the KZfaq analytics count them both the same. Just interactions like comments

I've read three reviews on Google in the past week by people who have by their own admission never visited the place they were reviewing, but still gave it 1 star, because they had not been there yet. So, apparently the digital age is for folks of all cognizance. :) OR could have been someone from GB still bitter about being told to go home. Love these videos!

aaron mckaig I think that it may be a Brit....

English loyalist would.

It's because those people get confused very easily and since there was more than two names they got nervous and downvoted

The French were definitely invaluable in the effort. We had won at Saratoga, but we lacked the ability to easily challenge British blockades or stop their massive ships from bombarding the coastlines. We were also having to extremely ration supplies due to shortages. France allying with us solved both problems, and so much more. If I remember correctly, Louisville, Kentucky is named after Louis XVI, in gratitude and remembrance of his assistance and support of America's freedom.

Without the French there wouldn’t be the USA. To start, from day one it was French supplies in arms and powder that armed American troops, they were the ones who gave the Americans the weapons to fight, as well as the money to do so. Then the decisive battles happened when French troops arrived, they fought alongside the Americans or better said Americans fought alongside French professional soldiers and artillery, so is the case on the seas. And finally, the USA were born in France, in Paris to be exact, when on September 3 1783 the representatives of the colonies and the representatives of Great Britain signed the treaty, putting an end to the war between the colonies and Great Britain and having Great Britain recognise the independence of the United States Of America.

Both names are commonly used, as is simply "the Battle of the Capes."

Yup. In fact when I flew fighters in the Navy out of Oceana, our controlling agency was FACSFAC Virginia Capes. BTW, my comments are not criticisms, but rather a sharing in the discussion of history. Your videos are quite good, Sir.

You're lucky, when I was getting my commission it was called "current affairs" ;-)

A plaque under the statue of de Grasse at Fort Story calls it Battle of the capes. They have a relay nice stone carving/sculpture depicting the battle near the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

I have seen both names for the battle

I guess that depends upon the ship...

Times and meanings. Originally from French with Latin roots - terribilis. In this context to frighten. :) Bogeyman sort of thing ... good name for a warship.

Jim Fortune The USN's Zumwalt class is deserving of the name.

WALTERBROADDUS To me, Zumwalt is the guy who let sailors grow beards.

Jim Fortune Well the DDG 1000 class is turning into a pricey bleep up. And we have one more to build. Named ironically for the guy who's Destroyers started a war. LBJ.

Why was Byng executed? He lost a battle? Insubordination?

Pel et Soivre The official charge was 'failing to do his utmost'. Here's a short synopsis: www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/execution-admiral-byng

AI- sorry but that's complete rubbish, the battle of Quiberon bay Nov 1759 is a perfect example where the failings of Byng and his fate was the inspiration for the aggressive and some would have said reckless action of Hawke against the French which removed Frances invasion aspirations.

Richard-Sorry, it may be debatable, but it is not "complete rubbish". That case does not invalidate the entire proposition and is still hotly debated by historians today. Naturally aggressive commanders, like Boscowen, Saunders, and Hawke, did indeed feel empowered to become even more aggressive and with spectacular results. In the case of the events which are the subject of this video, over 20 years later, it is given as one of the reasons that Graves did not sail aggressively from New York to intercept de Barras' fleet when it departed Providence and before it could combine with de Grasse in the Chesapeake.

AI, I agree that "Complete Rubbish" was probably over egging the response. That said I felt your initial comments suggested a sort of commissar style effect and paraphrasing Voltaire took the incident out of context when referring to Chesapeake some 21 years later. Also the increasing efficiency in the management, financing and provisioning of the Royal Navy was arguably far more of an impact on the ability to wage war on a more aggressive footing. Graves problems are mor per to do with the quality of the vessels at hand and that during the passage they were forced to make port for repairs. This was was the reason for his late arrival, not any lack of aggression. That said, thought the video was excellent as usual.

History Guy did a video about that on May 25, 2020.

capperbar. That's what they called it, and it held back the nation tremendously.

I was going to make a facile joke about Jack Aubrey not being old enough for a command, but your comment is actually pertinent.

Also to be noted that it was also the opposite on the french side: the french navy had lost a lot of battles against the british in the previous 7 years war so they decided to upgrade / rebuild everything from scratch after the end of the war: reinforced training, simplified and uniformized signs between ships (which was not the case for the english fleet), better ships. This played a key role in the battle and explains why De Grasse managed to react quickly and take the advantage

motti886 the War of 1812 is another topic that I haven't tackled yet. So much history!

I don't live far from Noth Point. I too haven't heard of this one. Very interesting and I think the Maryland Historical Society should bring more light to this Battle at our historical sites around town and make sure our future generations will know of this event.

Yes and gained legal independence in the 19th century like Canada.

The French didn’t loose the first World War. Hell, it could be argued that they didn’t lose the second either, considering the French rebels and Charles de Gaul along with many French Colonies continued to fight against Germany even after they capitulated.

I see your German Troops, and raise to you Charles de Gaul, the leader of Free France and a major coordinator of the French Resistance.

CHURCHILL: 'I had many crosses to bear in the war but the heaviesst one, was the Cross of Lorraine'! 'Lunch Box Lectures' Operation Torch. (YT.)

The French did not lose the First World War and probably contributed more to its victory than America and England.

cory collier Yeah, we repaid that debt in interest and blood.

"America has joined forces with the Allied Powers, and what we have of blood and treasure are yours. Therefore it is that with loving pride we drape the colors in tribute of respect to this citizen of your great republic. And here and now, in the presence of the illustrious dead, we pledge our hearts and our honor in carrying this war to a successful issue. Lafayette, we are here." Charles E. Stanton July 4 1917 at the tomb of the Marquis de La Fayette

Google Lafayette's toast to Washington at the Plough Tavern in York, PA. Without France, there might not have ever been a USA

Emphatically.

So easy to forget our heritage. France, Great Briton, America. Lots of growing pains. May we always remember our friends.

S Tho all very good points. The campaign in the south was interesting. Militia and Tories played a large role. Green understood strategy. Morgan’s victory at Cowpens is under appreciated.

The History Guy: Five Minutes of History. Oh a fun five minute history might be done as a correlation to this. Take the John Trumbull painting of the surrender,shown here, and identify the men under the white flag as the VICTORIOUS French field command and color detail. That the white flag is the flag of France and the US flag flying on either side of the British column in the center. No UK flag is shown flying, as that would be furled and surrendered. Often mistaken by the modern viewer as a white flag of truce, this one wasn't. You could then discuss the history and myths surrounding of flags of surrender.

S Tho that is an interesting point, as the French were flying the white flag in this period.

I had heard at the surrender at Yorktown, the British were so humiliated that the band played " The World Turned Upside Down". And that makes sense, it never occurred to them the possibility they could lose to this rag-tag rabble. Sort of the 1700's British Vietnam.

David Marquardt we are often taught by our own 19th century historians the rag tag prose and that the Royal Army was the greatest force in the world. There were times the rag tag victories were accurate such as the Over Mountain Men against Ferguson's Tories at Kings Mountain, but it doesn't fit the Yorktown siege. By 1781 the US Continental Line under Washington had long been trained, uniformed, reorganized into companies of heavy and light REGULAR INFANTRY. Same tactics and discipline as the Crown troops from the UK and often more disciplined than Tory militias. Add to that, the US forces now had a huge French professional army in support for the first time in the war, fresh artillery and the Continentals rearmed with both cannon and musket. Yorktown was a full European classic siege for the era. Also, the Redcoat bugaboo. Compared to the US militia troops in 1776, the British seemed like giants,but UK troops were not the finest and mightiest army in the world in the 1780. The French had better training and superior manufactured arms. The Prussians were far more disciplined than your typical Redcoat and the Russians were much more of a militaristic culture. The British were a pseudo free society by 1770 and the military was always a budget item in their commercial corporation, not the centre of their society. We in the US today have a lot more in common with UK culture of 1770 than we'd like to think. We are cousins if not brothers.

48 now. Damn common core

They don't teach this level of history in HS. According to 'Merican Hist'ry, ol' George done whipped the Red Coats all by his self.

The flunkers should definitely be required to watch this video! And be tested on it.

unenlightened bigot

It’s now at 64, at least they aren’t growing exponentially.🤔

I will probably have an episode out on Cowpens some day.

If you do an article on Cow Pens Please remember Brattensville and the Haucks defeat.

I have been to Cowpens the Colonists whipped the British in 13 minutes.

Not to mention the Disastrous “victory” the British had at guilford county courthouse.

Right.

And French toast.

Hood later had a battle cruiser named after him (sunk by the Bismark, 1941) and Rodney had a battleship named after him. (helped sink Bismark- scrapped 1948)

France was a shocking authoritarian police state at that time, but as a yank, you are right to be grateful.

Do you know many authoritarian police states which let people like Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, Rousseau and other philosophers create the "Age of Enlightenment" ? Lafayette was not looking for money, he was a teenager who grew up in a society which was talking about freedom and justice. The USA was just what embodied the idealistic vision of society.

@@neilwilson5785 Yes like the whole Europe, and France wasn't the most authoritarian, Louis XVI was kinda soft

Merci merci on sait. 😌 Moi-même je nous aime.

Alf is British. Lol

He was going to win it unless the British would have spent more and sent more of their men into the colony. The British could have very easily crushed the revolutionaries but they didn't because their other colonies were being threatened by France and Spain.

@@zjean3417 no they couldn’t have “easily” done that. They straight up couldn’t afford too

Lol. Thanks for that laugh.

There was, at one point, a "pastry war." Expect five minutes on that soon.

The History Guy: Five Minutes of History ahhh the French Vs the Mexicans don't hear much about that one

A chaotic period in Mexican history and another chapter in the story of López de Santa Anna. It deserves to be remembered.

The History Guy: Five Minutes of History can't wait to see it. I'm guessing we will eventually get one on the Saint Patrick battalion and the Mexican Amercian war. with the battle of Chaputltapic and Los niños herues

armando ocampo The San Patricos: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oa2AfLep2danmJc.html. And yes, there will be more on the war with Mexico.

Yes, and all with the motto "We have not yet begun to pump!".

Why on earth would you name your ship "Terrible"? That's a bad omen right from the start. I erupted with laughter when I learned that was the ship that sunk after the battle!

Also New York was a loyalist city, The people cheered when the British captured it.