Jean Baptiste, chevalier de Ternant (12 December 1751 – 15 November 1833) was a French soldier,

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

, and French ambassador to the United States from 1791 to 1793. Born in Damvilliers, France, in 1751, he became a lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Engineers in 1772. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, he volunteered to join the cause of the Patriots. Beginning in 1778 at

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the B ...

, he served as a subinspector in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

."Jean Baptiste Ternant, Inspector General and Advisor to the Commanding Generals of the Southern Forces 1778-1782"
Douglas N. Adams, ''The South Carolina Historical Magazine'', Vol. 86, No. 3 (July, 1985), pp. 221-240 Ternant was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1780. After the American Revolution Ternant became a colonel in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

and later French armies. During his service in the Dutch Republc, Ternant he was a commanding officer responsible for the defense of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

against the invading Prussians during the

Patriottentijd The (; ) was a period of political instability in the Dutch Republic between approximately 1780 and 1787. Its name derives from the Patriots () faction who opposed the rule of the stadtholder, William V, Prince of Orange, and his supporters who ...

events of 1787. He then served in various positions in France before briefly returning to the United States as a French minister in 1791. After the abolition of the French monarchy, he was dismissed by the ruling

Girondin The Girondins ( , ), or Girondists, were members of a loosely knit political faction during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnard ...

s from his post and was succeeded by Edmond-Charles Genet. He then lived as a private citizen and avoided public service, including during the Napoleonic rule. He died in Paris in 1833. The

Independence National Historical Park Independence National Historical Park is a federally protected historic district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution and the nation's founding history. Administered by the National P ...

has an oil portrait, painted by

Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American Painting, painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolu ...

in 1781."Jean-Baptiste Ternant, Chevalier de (1751-1816), (painting)"
''SIRIS''

References

External links

Ternant, Jean Baptiste
''The Papers of Thomas Jefferson'' *http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/louis-xvi-engraving
"Chevalier Jean de Ternant, colonel in the Revol"
''NYPL'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Ternant, Jean-Baptiste 1751 births 1833 deaths Ambassadors of France to the United States French military personnel of the American Revolutionary War 18th-century French diplomats People from Meuse (department) Members of the Dutch Patriots faction