Making a Toast to America on the Eve of Her 250th Birthday

Taking inspiration from Revolutionary War-era toasts as America celebrates its landmark anniversary.

Fraunces Tavern, established in 1762, is New York’s oldest bar and restaurant. Above, a negotiation table used by the Department of Foreign Affairs is displayed at the Fraunces Tavern Museum. Courtesy of Fraunces Tavern Museum

On the evening of Nov. 25, 1783, New York Gov. George Clinton and over 100 guests gathered at Fraunces Tavern in present-day Manhattan to honor Gen. George Washington and to celebrate Evacuation Day, the departure of the last British troops from the city.

The toasts made that evening were the result of careful consideration and not only honored the 13 Colonies but also those friends who had made independence possible. Below is the list of toasts that has come down to us.

1. The United States of America 2. His Most Christian Majesty 3. The United Netherlands 4. The King of Sweden 5. The American Army 6. The Fleet and Armies of France, which have served in America 7. The memory of those Heroes who have fallen for our freedom 8. May our country be grateful to her Military children 9. May justice support what courage has gained 10. The Vindicators of the rights of mankind in every quarter of the globe 11. May America be an asylum to the persecuted of the earth 12. May a close Union of the States guard the Temple they have erected to liberty 13. May the remembrance of this Day be a lesson to Princes

That second toast to “His Most Christian Majesty” was not for the English King George, but to Louis XVI of France, for his support of the Revolution. The assembly saluted the Netherlands for its diplomatic and economic assistance, and the king of Sweden because his was the first neutral nation to recognize American independence.

On Dec. 4, with the last of the redcoats gone, Washington gathered some 30 of his officers at Fraunces Tavern to bid them farewell. This tear-filled parting began with Washington offering a toast to his longtime comrades in arms. In his account, Col. Benjamin Tallmadge wrote:

We had been assembled but a few moments when his excellency entered the room. After partaking of a slight refreshment in an almost breathless silence the General filled his glass with wine and turning to the officers said, “With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.”

Washington soon left the city, but his association with the tavern and its proprietor, Samuel Fraunces, continued. Besides providing rooms to the Continental Congress to use as offices, following the ratification of the Constitution, Fraunces Tavern became the headquarters for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Treasury, and Department of War. Once Washington became president, Fraunces himself served as his steward, first in the presidential home in New York and then in Philadelphia. Washington praised him for “being an excellent Cook” with the talent “to provide genteel Dinners.”

Now—with the 250th anniversary at hand—is a great time to offer our own salutes to our country. Let’s raise our glasses, and raise them high, to the United States of America.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.