Thomas Jefferson, true link between Fréjus and the United States? Let us tell you

We often pass by them without even noticing. They adorn the walls of our old buildings, brighten our gardens, or give character to our public squares. These statues, memorial plaques, and other monuments keep the memory of our places alive. So, Var-matin invites you to discover these memorials in the East Var region.

Today: the plaque honoring Thomas Jefferson displayed on the facade of the Fréjus Town Hall. It was a gift from the American city of Fredericksburg in 2005 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the twinning between the two municipalities. The third president of the United States is more than just a symbol of transatlantic friendship here: he serves as a link between the two communities. In fact, around 1759, Jefferson studied in Fredericksburg, not far from his hometown of Shadwell. He also drafted the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom in 1777. Jefferson also visited the Roman city in 1787, leaving a brief but unforgettable mark in history.

At that time, he was not yet president, but the ambassador of the United States in France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin. Based in Paris but with an insatiable curiosity, he embarked on a journey through “Provence and Languedoc.” Passing through Champagne, Burgundy, and Dauphiné, he visited Orange, Nîmes, Arles, Aix, Marseille, Toulon, Nice (then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia), and even Milan before turning back.

A travel journal on agriculture in Provence

During this journey, he wrote a fifty-page travel journal. Far from being a poetic description of French landscapes, it reads more like a work document. The diplomat’s interest focused mainly on anthropological and technical considerations. He described agricultural workers, the harshness of their lives, their attire, their clustering in villages or dispersal in farms, as well as their remuneration.

His roots as a planter resurfacing, he delved into various crops, assessed yields, and evaluated the richness of the lands he traversed. As a wine enthusiast, it is no surprise that vineyards were his favorite. He visited vineyards to uncover the secrets of European wines, even tasting Bellet wines near Nice on the French Riviera.

Jefferson also devoted plenty of notes to the cultivation of oranges, olives, mulberries, pomegranates, cypresses, figs, rice, and aromatic herbs.

Regarding Fréjus and its surroundings, he described: “the road crosses valleys and sometimes passes over the mountains that separate them. The valleys are quite fertile, always red and stony, gravelly or sandy. The mountains are arid.”

“Every man has two countries, his own and then France”

The influence of France on Jefferson goes beyond these pages. For instance, captivated by the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, he drew inspiration from it to build the Virginia State Capitol. However, his main accomplishment remains the Declaration of Independence of the United States, of which he was the principal author. Its 250th anniversary will be celebrated this year. As head of state, Jefferson also orchestrated the purchase of Louisiana from the First Republic in 1803.

Behind these political achievements lies a genuine attachment to France. With his friend, the Marquis de Lafayette, they are considered the founding fathers of Franco-American friendship. The quote commonly attributed to Jefferson, “Every man has two countries, his own and then France,” is not found in his writings. However, it could be a paraphrase of the following passage from his autobiography: “Ask a traveler, regardless of his nationality, in which country on Earth would you like to live? Certainly in my own, where all my friends, loved ones, and the oldest and sweetest memories of my life reside — What would be your second choice? France.”

Enduring ties

In any case, this sentiment still resonates today, especially in Fréjus, where it is engraved on the plaque offered by its twin city. The Franco-American friendship is still actively manifested, as seen in 2019 when a pecan tree was planted in the garden of Villa Marie on the initiative of the Fréjus Twinning Committee and the Jefferson Pecan Growers Association. The latter organizes similar events throughout France in places where the third US president passed by, leaving an indelible mark on Fréjus for just a few moments in the spring of 1787.