Post by European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington DC

🇫🇷🇺🇸 For Jérôme, this story is personal. In this episode of our America 250 – Europe’s Story in America’s Founding series, our colleague Jérôme shares the story of one of his own relatives: Major General Louis Lebègue Duportail. Recruited by Benjamin Franklin in 1777, Duportail became George Washington’s Chief Engineer and helped design the fortifications that protected the Continental Army, from Valley Forge to the decisive victory at Yorktown. His work helped lay the foundations of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and influenced what would become West Point, leaving a legacy that endures to this day. His remarkable story reminds us that the ties between Europe and the United States were built not only by famous names, but also by extraordinary individuals whose contributions shaped history on both sides of the Atlantic. 🎥 Watch Jérôme tell the story of his remarkable ancestor.

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