1777-May-09: The Continental Congress formed a specialized committee to finalize a contract with a Frenchman named Bajeu Laporte for military recruitment.
1777-May-09: The Continental Congress formed a specialized committee to finalize a contract with a Frenchman named Bajeu Laporte for military recruitment. The proposed agreement sought to raise a full regiment of French soldiers from within the populations of Saint-Domingue and Martinique to fight in the American Revolution. Although the final implementation of this specific contract is not detailed in the surviving records, the proposal itself shows the strategic value placed on Caribbean manpower. American leaders viewed the French colonies as a potential source of trained troops who were already acclimated to the climate and conditions of the Americas. This initiative reflects the early American effort to internationalize their struggle by drawing on resources from the neighboring French possessions.