Peter Stephen Du Ponceau Speaks in Many Tongues
Peter Stephen Du Ponceau was a French teenager who came to the United States and helped drill the Continental Army.
Du Ponceau became an important linguist in the Early Republic, developing the Western World’s knowledge of several languages.
Peter Stephen Du Ponceau
Peter Stephen Du Ponceau was a man of extraordinary mental ability.
As a teenager he dropped out of college because it just wasn’t challenging enough.
His talent was noticed, and at just 17-years-old he accompanied Baron von Steuben to the United States to help the Continental Army fight in the Revolutionary War.
Continental Army
Upon arrival, Du Ponceau became Steuben’s Secretary.
In this position, he assisted in the reorganization and training of the American soldiers during the harsh winter at Valley Forge.
Unfortunately, in 1779, Du Ponceau fell ill and was forced to resign from the army.
He moved to Philadelphia and received citizenship.
Foreign Affairs
Just as the Continental Army was winning the war at Yorktown, Du Ponceau was hired as Secretary for Robert Livingston.
Livingston was acting as the Continental Congress’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
As Secretary, Peter assisted in crafting the diplomatic policy of the United States just as the Articles of Confederation were being implemented.
Linguistics
After the war ended, Du Ponceau was licenced to practice law.
He became more renown, however, as an intellectual.
Peter joined dozens of learning societies and published several important works.
Most notable, he became an important linguist.
Du Ponceau collected and wrote works regarding Native American languages, contributing to much of our modern ability to translate them.
Furthermore, Peter became an expert in Chinese. A language which was not studied much in the West, Du Ponceau was able to determine that Chinese symbols were not meant to convey ideas but instead represented words.
Do you want to learn about other FRENCH FOUNDERS?
Great!
Enjoy these articles:
The Marquis de Lafayette - The French American Revolutionary
Louis Duportail Engineers the American Revolution
Recruiting Canada - Fleury Mesplet’s French Canadian American Revolution
Although Du Ponceau does not have a biography, his boss, Baron von Steuben, does.
What about Spain?
‘The Drillmaster of Valley Forge’ discusses the important contributions these two men made in creating the Continental Army.
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