Overview
The Marquis de Lafayette, whose full name was Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, was a French aristocrat and military officer who played a significant role in the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Born on September 6, 1757, in Chavaniac, France, Lafayette developed a deep admiration for the ideals of liberty and equality from an early age. At the age of 19, he ventured across the Atlantic to join the American cause in their fight for independence from Britain.
Lafayette quickly earned the trust and respect of George Washington and became a key figure in the Continental Army. He played crucial roles in major battles such as Brandywine, Monmouth, and Yorktown. Furthermore, Lafayette’s close relationship with Washington helped secure valuable French support for the American cause. After the American Revolution, Lafayette returned to France, where he championed liberal reforms and became a prominent figure in the early stages of the French Revolution. Despite facing personal and political challenges, Lafayette remained committed to the principles of liberty and constitutional government throughout his life. His contributions to both the American and French Revolutions made him an influential figure in the advancement of democratic ideals, and he is remembered as a symbol of friendship and collaboration between the United States and France.
Memoirs and Papers
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, Stanley J. Idzerda, and Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier Lafayette.
Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776-1790. 5 vols. The Papers of the Marquis de Lafayette. Ithaca, N.Y: Cornell University Press, 1977.
Biographies
Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. First Edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014.
Chaffin, Tom. Revolutionary Brothers: Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Friendship That Helped Forge Two Nations. First edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2019.
Gottschalk, Louis. Lafayette In America – 1777-1783. 1st ed. Arveyres, France: L’Esprit de Lafayette Society, 1975.
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier. Memoirs of General Lafayette Embracing Details of His Public and Private Life, Sketches of the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Down Fall of Bonaparte, and the Restoration of the Bourbons, with Biographical Notices of Individuals Who Have Been Distinguished Actors in These Events. First. New York: Russell Robins, 1825.
Unger, Harlow G. Lafayette. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002.
Vowell, Sarah. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. New York: Riverhead Books, 2015.
Journal Articles
Portraits
Lafayette Statue in Lafayette Square Washington DC
Moland House Heatsville Pennsylvania
An example of the numerous historical markers commemorating Lafayette’s 1824-5 visit to the United States. Citizens throughout the country feted him at every stop. This marker is in Lewiston, New York.
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