Benjamin Franklin Arrives

By now, you’ve probably noticed the name of the quay, the plaque by the water, and now this large painted medallion… so clearly Benjamin Franklin has a connection to Saint-Goustan. But what was he doing here?

In fact, he was trying to reach Nantes, but unfavorable winds kept his ship from entering the Loire River. Still, Nantes and Saint-Goustan aren’t that far apart, especially when you remember that America itself was discovered by Europeans who were looking for India a few centuries earlier! So it was here, in Saint-Goustan, that the famous American, whose portrait would one day appear on the $100 bill, first set foot in France on December 4, 1776.

Let’s go back to that moment. The thirteen British colonies in America had just declared their independence, but the war against Great Britain was far from won. Up against one of the most powerful armies in the world, the revolutionaries desperately needed money, weapons, ships…

and above all, a powerful ally. And which country was Britain’s greatest rival at the time? France, of course.

Thirteen years earlier, the Seven Years’ War had ended in a crushing defeat for France, costing it most of its possessions in North America, including Canada. Supporting the American revolutionaries was therefore the perfect opportunity to weaken its old enemy and settle the score. At the age of 70, Benjamin Franklin was sent to France with a crucial mission: to persuade the kingdom of Louis XVI to support the young American nation.

He left Philadelphia on October 26, 1776, aboard the Reprisal, accompanied by his two grandsons, 16-year-old Temple and 7-year-old Benny. After a difficult crossing of about a month, the ship reached Quiberon Bay. Eager to get back on dry land, Franklin transferred to a smaller boat, which brought him here to the modest port of Saint-Goustan.

His first encounter with France was not exactly what you might expect. Instead of diplomats, he found himself face-to-face with a few Breton farmers, and according to one account, neither side could understand a word the other was saying! Quite a beginning for a mission that would go on to change the course of history.

Soon after arriving, Franklin began writing letters. In several of them, dated from Auray, he explained that the crossing had left him extremely weak, but he hoped the fresh air on land would quickly restore his strength. He also began planning the next stage of his journey to Nantes and then Paris.

His mission would last much longer than expected. After months of negotiations, Franklin helped secure the signing of two treaties between France and the young United States in February 1778. French support, especially military and naval assistance, would later play a decisive role in the American victory.

In other words, when Franklin stepped onto this quay, no one could have known it yet… but an important chapter in the history of the United States was beginning right here in the small port of Auray.