Rosenbaum & Frank LLP

JOINT SOCIAL EVENT
Royal Canadian Military Institute
February 4, 2009
Toronto

The American Chamber of Commerce, Canada and the Canada Poland Chamber of Commerce of Toronto hosted a cocktail party at the Royal Canadian Military Institute on February 4, 2009 in Toronto to celebrate the life and times of General Thaddeus Kosciuszko 1746 – 1817 world famous hero of America and Poland. The General was born on February 4, 1746. The event was a sellout with 85 people in attendance. Speeches were made by Marek Ciesielczuk, Consul General of Poland and by John R. Nay, U.S. Consul General. Wojciech Sniegowski president of the Canada Poland Chamber of Commerce of Toronto introduced Marek Ciesielczuk. Robert Bathgate, President of AmCham Canada introduced John R. Nay.

The Consuls General highlighted General Thaddeus Kosciusko’s great achievements during the American Revolution and as a hero of the 1794 insurrection in Poland. The General was the chief engineer in building the fortress at West Point, New York and in building military fortifications in Philadelphia. The General was a great friend of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. After the colonies won their independence, General Kosciuszko returned to Poland in 1784 to help his own country. Kosciuszko was the national hero of the 1794 insurrection. He returned to America on August 18, 1797, which he considered his "second home." He received a hero's welcome when he reached Philadelphia. Afterward, he secured a residence at 3rd and Pine Streets, which is now the Kosciuszko House, a national memorial to him.

General Kosciuszko was a firm believer of equality and requested, before leaving the United States for the second time, that the money from his estate be used to buy freedom for slaves, help to educate them and provide them with enough land to support themselves. Kosciuszko spent the last years of his life in Switzerland, where on October 15, 1817 he died at the age of 72. He is buried in Wawel Castle, in Krakow, Poland, among the tombs of the Polish Kings. In 1828 a Corps of Cadets erected a monument to Kosciuszko at West Point, where his work was of vital importance to America in the Revolution.

US Consul General John R. Nay pointed out that there are over 1000 public monuments, streets, cities, hospitals, bridges and other structures throughout the United States named after the General. He also pointed out that the largest mountain in Australia is called Mount Kosciusko, in honour of the General.
This event was the first time an AmCham and a Polish Chamber of Commerce celebrated General Kosciuszko together.

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