Anne-César de La Luzerne

In 1779 La Luzerne succeeded Conrad Alexandre Gérard de Rayneval as the French Minister to the United States and later served as the official Ambassador of France until 1784.[1] During his time in Philadelphia, established as a base for the Continental Congress, when the British occupied New York City, he never failed to show his sympathy for the young Republic. He guaranteed a personal loan to buy food for the troops in 1780. In return he obtained, in 1782, the agreement that the American Continental Congress should not ratify any peace treaty with Great Britain until agreement was reached between France and Britain. He arranged for a requiem Mass after the death of Juan de Miralles (a Spanish representative to the Continental Congress), at St. Mary's Church in Philadelphia on 8 May 1780. That same year, he was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society based in the same city.[2]

La Luzerne was a major proponent of ratification of the Articles of Confederation; he felt that this new form of government would help strengthen the American state. Maryland persisted as the only state to block ratification of the Articles; they held out because some states had not yet given up claims to land west of the Appalachian Mountains. When Maryland requested France to provide naval forces in the Chesapeake Bay for protection from the British (who were conducting raids in the lower part of the bay), he indicated that French Admiral Destouches would do what he could, but La Luzerne also "sharply pressed" Maryland to ratify the Articles, thus suggesting the two issues were related. Maryland ratified the Articles in February 1781.[3] La Luzerne also suggested that the Confederation government appoint ministers of war, finance, and foreign affairs. He was assisted by General and Congressman John Sullivan[4]

La Luzerne returned to Europe in 1784, his reputation as an envoy much enhanced. In 1789, Thomas Jefferson, the first U.S. Secretary of State, sent La Luzerne a letter of thanks on behalf of President George Washington. In 1788 La Luzerne was posted as Ambassador to the Court of St. James's in London, and died on 14 September 1791 at Southampton.