The Chelsea 400th Anniversary Committee held a reenactment of the historic speech given by General Lafayette in Chelsea on Aug. 21, 1824.
historic sign located across from City Hall that
honors his visit to Chelsea on August 31, 1824.
General Lafayette was a French military officer military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army led by General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War.
Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez, portraying Reverend Tuckerman, gave the official welcoming speech for General Lafayette.
President Joan Cromwell, pictured at the General
Lafayette reenactment event.
Maltez said the event was “truly special and personal for me” as a graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., where he learned about General Lafayette and “his dedication for liberty and fraternity.”
General Lafayette (portrayed by actor Ben Goldman), was magically precise in delivering the speech with a French accent, stating at the outset, “I am overjoyed to see the happiness which everywhere surrounds us and I wish only the greatest possible prosperity to every inhabitant of this place and the City of Chelsea. My obligations to the United States far outweigh any merit I might plausibly claim. They date from a time when I have had the good fortune to be adopted as a favorite son of your country and they have been continued to me over many decades of continued affection and gratitude.”
Alan Hoffman of the American Friends of Lafayette and the Massachusetts Lafayette Society praised the Chelsea 400th Anniversary Committee for hosting the event honoring American history.
“I want to thank the City of Chelsea and its officials for the wonderful way they have cooperated in making this event possible,” said Hoffman.