July 14th, the people of France celebrate the storming of the Bastille, the notorious prison in Paris and symbol of tyranny over the French people. Thomas Jefferson was in Paris as a diplomat to France and witnessed the event, later writing to John Jay and describing the experience. Jefferson was a passionate supporter of the French Revolution, blurring the lines between his role as a diplomat while hosting French intellectuals and reformers at his house. America’s favorite fighting Frenchman, Marquis de Lafayette, will spend time with Jefferson in Paris writing the French “Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen.”

Later, Lafayette sent the key to the Bastille to George Washington, now serving as President of the United States, as a symbol of friendship between the French people and the American Republic. That key is still on display today at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s preserved home in Virginia along with a famous drawing of the Bastille. It will be on display until October 15th of this year!

We are blessed to have this history preserved by these fabulous organizations like George Washington’s Mount Vernon! I firmly believe that preserving these stories and sharing them is essential to the health and welfare of the people.