Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gilbert du Motier
|
|
|---|---|
Lafayette in the uniform of a major general of the Continental Army, by Charles Willson Peale, between 1779–1780
|
|
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies for Seine-et-Marne | |
| In office 22 May 1815 – 22 June 1815 |
|
| Member of the Chamber of Peers for Sarthe | |
| In office 4 October 1816 – 25 July 1830 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette
6 September 1757 Château de Chavaniac, Auvergne Province, Kingdom of France |
| Died | 20 May 1834 (aged 76) Paris, Kingdom of France |
| Resting place | Picpus Cemetery |
| Political party | Liberals (1815–1824) Doctrinaires (1824–1834) |
| Spouse |
Adrienne de Noailles
(m. 1774; died 1807) |
| Children | 4, including Georges Washington |
| Awards | Order of Saint Louis |
| Signature |  |
| Nickname | The Hero of the Two Worlds (Le Héros des Deux Mondes) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of France (1771–1777, 1781–1791, 1814/15-1830) United States (1777–1781) Kingdom of France (1791–1792) French First Republic (1792) Kingdom of France (1830) |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1771–1792 1830 |
| Rank |
|
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War
July Revolution |
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (born September 6, 1757 – died May 20, 1834), known as Lafayette in the United States, was a French nobleman and military officer. He bravely fought in the American Revolutionary War, leading American troops in important battles like the siege of Yorktown.
After returning to France, Lafayette played a big role in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. He is seen as a national hero in both France and the United States.
Lafayette grew up in a rich family in France. He became an officer at just 13 years old. He believed strongly in the American fight for freedom and traveled to America to join the cause. At 19, he became a major general. He was hurt at the Battle of Brandywine but still helped his troops retreat safely. He also fought well in the Battle of Rhode Island.
Later, he went back to France to ask for more French support for the Americans. He returned to America in 1780 and was given important roles in the Continental Army. In 1781, his troops in Virginia held off British forces until American and French armies could join for the final siege of Yorktown.
After the American Revolution, Lafayette returned to France. He helped write the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" during the French Revolution. This document was inspired by the American Declaration of Independence. He also wanted to end slavery. After the storming of the Bastille, he became the leader of France's National Guard. He tried to guide France through the revolution peacefully. However, radical groups ordered his arrest in 1792, and he fled to the Austrian Netherlands. He was captured and spent over five years in prison.
Lafayette was freed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. He later became a liberal member of the French parliament. In 1824, President James Monroe invited him to the United States. Lafayette visited all 24 states and received a huge welcome. During France's July Revolution of 1830, he was offered the chance to become dictator but refused. He supported Louis-Philippe as king, but later disagreed with him when the king became too powerful. Lafayette died on May 20, 1834, and is buried in Paris. He is often called "The Hero of the Two Worlds" because of his important work in both France and the United States.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Lafayette's Early Life
Lafayette was born on September 6, 1757, at the château de Chavaniac in Chavaniac-Lafayette, France. His family was very old and respected in France. Many men in his family were known for being brave soldiers.
Lafayette's father died in battle in 1759, when Lafayette was only two years old. He was hit by a cannonball while fighting the British. Lafayette then became the Marquis (a noble title) and Lord of Chavaniac. His mother went to live in Paris, so Lafayette was raised by his grandmother at the family château.
In 1768, when Lafayette was 11, he moved to Paris to live with his mother. He went to school and decided to follow his family's military tradition. His mother and grandfather died in 1770, leaving Lafayette with a lot of money. At 12, he inherited even more money from an uncle.
In May 1771, at just under 14, Lafayette became an officer in the Musketeers. His duties were mostly ceremonial, like marching in parades. He continued his studies.
When Lafayette was 14, his future father-in-law arranged for him to marry 12-year-old Marie Adrienne Françoise. At first, Adrienne's mother thought they were too young. But they agreed to wait two years and get to know each other. They fell in love and were happily married in 1774.
Lafayette Joins the American Cause
After his marriage, Lafayette continued his military training. In 1775, he heard about the American colonies fighting for freedom from British rule. He felt strongly that the American cause was right. He believed in liberty and wanted to help.
In September 1775, Lafayette became a captain. His first child, Henriette, was born in December. During this time, he became even more convinced about the American Revolution. He said, "My heart was dedicated" to it.
In 1776, American agents were talking with the French king, Louis XVI, about helping America. France wanted to get back at Britain for past wars. When Lafayette heard that French officers were going to America, he insisted on joining them. He met an American agent named Silas Deane and was made a major general on December 7, 1776.
The British found out about France's plan to help America and threatened war. Lafayette's father-in-law was angry and told him to visit the French ambassador in London. Lafayette went, but he still planned to go to America. He met King George III and spent three weeks in London society.
When he returned to France, he hid from his father-in-law. King Louis XVI even issued an order forbidding French officers from serving in America, specifically naming Lafayette. Some people think the king even ordered his arrest.
Lafayette's Journey to America
Lafayette learned that the American Congress didn't have money for his trip. So, he bought his own sailing ship, the Victoire, for a lot of money. He went to Bordeaux to prepare the ship. He received emotional letters from his wife and family. He even turned the ship around briefly, but then decided to continue.
To avoid being caught by British spies or the French king, Lafayette did not board the ship in Pauillac. The ship sailed to Pasaia in Spain, where it picked up 5,000 rifles and ammunition. Lafayette joined the Victoire there, and they set sail for America on April 26, 1777. The journey was long and boring. Lafayette bought all the cargo on the ship to avoid stopping in the West Indies, where he feared arrest. He finally landed in South Carolina on June 13, 1777.
Fighting in the American Revolution
When Lafayette arrived in America, he met Major Benjamin Huger, a rich landowner. He stayed with Huger for two weeks before going to Philadelphia. Many French officers had come to America, but most couldn't speak English or lacked military experience. Lafayette had learned some English on the ship and quickly became fluent.
Lafayette offered to serve without pay. Because of this, and a letter from Benjamin Franklin, Congress made him a major general on July 31, 1777.
General George Washington, the leader of the Continental Army, met Lafayette in Philadelphia. They quickly became friends. Washington was impressed by Lafayette's energy. Lafayette greatly admired Washington. Washington showed Lafayette his military camp, which was in poor condition. Lafayette told him, "I am here to learn, not to teach." He joined Washington's staff. Washington told Lafayette he couldn't lead a division because he was foreign-born, but he would be a trusted friend.
Key Battles and Winter at Valley Forge
Lafayette's first battle was at Brandywine on September 11, 1777. The British tried to capture Philadelphia. When the British attacked, Washington sent Lafayette to help General John Sullivan. Lafayette tried to rally the American troops. He was shot in the leg during the battle. Even though he was wounded, he helped organize an orderly retreat. Washington praised his "bravery and military ardour."
After two months of healing, Lafayette returned to duty in November. He was given command of a division. He helped General Nathanael Greene scout British positions. With only 300 soldiers, he defeated a larger Hessian force in Gloucester on November 24, 1777.
Lafayette spent the winter of 1777–78 with Washington's army at Valley Forge. He shared the difficult conditions with his troops. During this time, the Board of War asked Lafayette to plan an invasion of Quebec. But when he arrived in Albany, New York, he found too few men. He wrote to Washington about the problem and returned to Valley Forge. Before leaving, he convinced the Oneida tribe to join the American side.
In March 1778, treaties between America and France became public. France officially recognized American independence.
Barren Hill, Monmouth, and Rhode Island
The British began to leave Philadelphia in May 1778. Washington sent Lafayette with 2,200 men to scout near Barren Hill, Pennsylvania. The British tried to capture him with 5,000 men, and then another 6,000. Lafayette's troops were outnumbered, but he organized a clever retreat. He made some of his men appear from the woods to make it seem like his force was larger. This allowed his troops to escape safely.
The British then marched towards New York. The Continental Army followed and attacked at Monmouth Courthouse in New Jersey. General Charles Lee led the attack, but his orders caused confusion. Lafayette sent a message to Washington, who arrived and took command. Washington rallied the troops. The British eventually retreated during the night.
A French fleet arrived in July 1778. General Washington planned to attack Newport, Rhode Island, with the French. Lafayette wanted to lead a combined French-American force, but the French admiral refused. The American land force attacked without the French. A storm damaged both fleets, and the French ships went to Boston for repairs.
Lafayette helped calm angry Bostonians who thought the French had deserted them. He then returned to Rhode Island to help with the American retreat. Congress praised him for his "gallantry, skill, and prudence." In October 1778, he asked Washington and Congress for permission to go home to France. They agreed, and Congress gave him a special sword to be presented in France. He sailed for France in January 1779.
Return to France and Second Voyage to America
Lafayette arrived in Paris in February 1779. He was put under house arrest for eight days for disobeying the king. But it was just for show; he was welcomed as a hero. He was soon invited to hunt with the king. Benjamin Franklin's grandson presented Lafayette with the special sword from Congress.
Lafayette pushed for a French invasion of Britain. He wanted to have a major command. But the invasion was called off. In December 1779, his wife Adrienne gave birth to their son, Georges Washington Lafayette.
Lafayette worked with Benjamin Franklin to get 6,000 French soldiers sent to America. General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau would lead them. Lafayette would be a major general in the American forces and a link between Rochambeau and Washington. In March 1780, he sailed back to America on the frigate Hermione, arriving in Boston on April 27, 1780.
When he returned, the American cause was struggling. Lafayette was welcomed with great excitement in Boston. He met Washington again in New Jersey on May 10, 1780. Washington and his officers were happy to hear that a large French force was coming. Washington asked Lafayette to write to state officials, urging them to send more troops and supplies.
When the French fleet arrived, there were fewer men and supplies than expected. Rochambeau decided to wait for more reinforcements. Lafayette was impatient and suggested big plans, but Rochambeau refused to meet him until Lafayette apologized. Washington advised Lafayette to be patient.
That summer, Washington put Lafayette in charge of a division of troops. Lafayette spent a lot of his own money on his command. He saw no major battles. In November, Washington sent the soldiers back to their states. The war continued to go badly for the Americans, especially in the south.
Lafayette spent the winter of 1780–81 in Philadelphia. Congress asked him to go back to France for more help, but Lafayette refused. He sent letters instead.
After an American victory in South Carolina in January 1781, Washington ordered Lafayette to go to Virginia. He was to join forces with Baron von Steuben and try to trap the British forces led by Benedict Arnold, who had switched sides. French ships were supposed to block Arnold's escape by sea. But the British controlled the seas, so the plan failed.
Lafayette and a small part of his force reached von Steuben in Yorktown, Virginia. Lafayette then moved his troops north, but was ordered back to Virginia to take military command there. He was upset, thinking he was being sent to a quiet area while important battles happened elsewhere. He wrote to the French ambassador, describing how poorly supplied his troops were. As Lafayette hoped, the ambassador sent his letter to France, asking for massive French aid. This aid would be very important in the battles to come. Washington couldn't tell Lafayette that he planned to trap Cornwallis in a decisive campaign.
Victory at Yorktown
Lafayette avoided Cornwallis's attempts to capture him in Richmond. In June 1781, Cornwallis was ordered to build a port in the Chesapeake Bay. As the British moved, Lafayette sent small groups to attack their rear guard or foraging parties. This made it seem like his forces were larger than they were.
On July 4, the British left Williamsburg and prepared to cross the James River. Cornwallis tried to ambush Lafayette by hiding many of his troops. On July 6, Lafayette ordered General "Mad" Anthony Wayne to attack the British with about 800 soldiers. Wayne found himself greatly outnumbered. Instead of retreating, he led a bayonet charge. This brave charge bought time for the Americans, and the British did not pursue. The Battle of Green Spring was a British victory, but the American army was inspired by the courage shown.
By August, Cornwallis had set up his forces at Yorktown. Lafayette positioned his artillery around the British, who were near the York River. The British were ordered to build defenses to protect their ships. Lafayette's containment trapped the British when the French fleet arrived. The French won the Battle of the Virginia Capes, taking away Cornwallis's naval protection.
On September 14, 1781, Washington's forces joined Lafayette's. On September 28, with the French fleet blocking the British, the combined forces began the siege of Yorktown. On October 14, Lafayette's 400 men captured Redoubt 9 after Alexander Hamilton's forces charged Redoubt 10. These two forts were key to breaking the British defenses. After a failed British counter-attack, Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781.
Hero of Two Worlds
Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolution. Lafayette wanted to lead more expeditions, but Washington thought he would be more useful getting more naval support from France. Congress appointed him as an advisor to America's representatives in Europe. Congress also sent a special letter to King Louis XVI praising Lafayette.
Lafayette arrived in Paris in February 1779 and was welcomed as a hero. He was received at the Palace of Versailles. He worked on a plan for a combined French and Spanish attack against the British. But the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, ending the war, so the attack wasn't needed. Lafayette helped with those peace talks.
Lafayette worked with Thomas Jefferson to create trade agreements between the United States and France. He also joined a French group that wanted to end the slave trade and give equal rights to free black people. In 1783, he wrote to Washington, who owned slaves, suggesting that slaves be freed and become tenant farmers. Washington didn't free his slaves, but he was interested in Lafayette's ideas. Lafayette bought a plantation in French Guiana to try out his ideas.
Lafayette visited America in 1784–1785 and received a huge welcome. He visited all the states. He went to Washington's farm at Mount Vernon. He spoke to the Virginia House of Delegates, calling for "liberty of all mankind" and urging the freeing of slaves. He also urged Pennsylvania to help form a stronger federal union. He received an honorary degree from Harvard. Maryland's government made him and his male heirs "natural born Citizens" of the state. This made him a natural-born citizen of the United States after the Constitution was approved in 1789.
Lafayette's home in Paris became an important meeting place for Americans. He continued to work on lowering trade barriers for American goods in France.
Lafayette and the French Revolution
Assembly and the Declaration of Rights
In 1786, King Louis XVI called an Assembly of Notables because France was in a financial crisis. Lafayette was appointed to this group. He spoke out for reforms and called for a "truly national assembly" that would represent all of France. The king decided to call an Estates General instead, which met in 1789.
Lafayette was elected to represent the nobility. Traditionally, each of the three groups (clergy, nobility, commoners) had one vote. This meant the commoners, who were much larger, were usually outvoted. Lafayette argued for voting by head, so each person's vote counted. The commoners and some clergy formed the National Assembly. On July 11, 1789, Lafayette presented a draft of the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" to the Assembly. He wrote it with help from Thomas Jefferson.
The next day, the king fired a popular finance minister, which angered people. On July 14, a fortress called the Bastille was stormed by angry citizens.
Leading the National Guard
On July 15, Lafayette was made commander-in-chief of the Parisian National Guard. This was an armed force created to keep order. Lafayette suggested the name and the symbol for the group: a blue, white, and red cockade. This combined the colors of Paris with the royal white, creating the French tricolor flag.
Lafayette had a tough job. The king and his supporters saw him as a revolutionary. But many commoners felt he was helping the king keep power. The National Assembly approved the Declaration on August 26, but the king rejected it.
On October 5, a crowd of Parisian women marched to Versailles because there wasn't enough bread. Members of the National Guard followed, with Lafayette reluctantly leading them. At Versailles, the king accepted the Declaration. But he refused to go to Paris. The crowd broke into the palace. Lafayette brought the royal family onto the palace balcony to try and calm things down. The crowd demanded the king and his family move to Paris. The king appeared, and the crowd cheered. When Marie Antoinette appeared alone, some people shouted to shoot her. But she stood her ground. Lafayette kissed her hand, and the crowd cheered.
Lafayette tried to keep order as radical groups gained power. He helped create a political club called the Society of 1789 to balance the influence of the radical Jacobins.
Lafayette helped organize a big event on July 14, 1790, called the Fête de la Fédération. There, he, the National Guard, and the king took an oath to be loyal to the nation, the law, and the king. Royalists worried about Lafayette's control over the crowd, while Jacobins saw him as too loyal to the king.
Lafayette continued to work for order. On February 28, 1791, he left the Tuileries Palace to deal with a conflict. Hundreds of nobles came to the palace to defend the king. But there were rumors they wanted to take the king away. Lafayette quickly returned and disarmed the nobles. This event was called the Day of Daggers. It made Lafayette popular for protecting the king. However, the royal family became more like prisoners in their palace.
Decline in Popularity and Exile
On June 20, 1791, the king and queen tried to escape from France in a plot known as the Flight to Varennes. Lafayette was in charge of the royal family's safety, so he was blamed by extremists. They called him a traitor. These accusations hurt his reputation and made him seem like a royalist.
Lafayette's public standing continued to fall. On July 17, a large crowd gathered at the Champ de Mars to demand the monarchy be abolished. Lafayette rode in with his troops to restore order. The crowd threw stones. An attempt was made to shoot Lafayette, but the pistol misfired. The soldiers fired into the crowd, wounding and killing many people. This event was called the Champ de Mars massacre.
Martial law was declared. Lafayette's reputation with many political groups dropped sharply. After the massacre, a crowd attacked Lafayette's home and tried to harm his wife. The Assembly finished a constitution in September. Lafayette resigned from the National Guard in early October.
France declared war on Austria on April 20, 1792. Lafayette, now a Lieutenant General, was given command of one of the armies. He found that many of his troops supported the Jacobins and disliked their officers. On April 23, 1792, Maximilien Robespierre demanded Lafayette step down.
In June 1792, Lafayette criticized the growing power of the radicals in a letter to the Assembly. He even went to Paris and gave a fiery speech against the Jacobins. But the radicals were in full control. Lafayette was accused of deserting his troops. He tried to get volunteers to fight the Jacobins, but few showed up. He understood the public mood and quickly left Paris. Robespierre called him a traitor.
On August 10, a mob attacked the Tuileries Palace. The king and queen were imprisoned. The Assembly abolished the monarchy. On August 14, a warrant was issued for Lafayette's arrest. Hoping to go to the United States, Lafayette entered the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium).
Lafayette's Imprisonment
Lafayette was captured by the Austrians near Rochefort. He was recognized and taken prisoner. The king of Prussia, an ally of Austria, saw Lafayette as a dangerous revolutionary. He ordered Lafayette to be held to prevent him from causing more rebellions.
Lafayette was moved to different prisons. A military court declared him and three others to be "prisoners of state." They were to be held until a restored French king could decide their fate. They spent time in a citadel in Wesel, then in Magdeburg.
In 1794, Lafayette and his companions were handed over to the Austrian monarch, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor. They were sent to a barracks-prison in Olmütz, Moravia (now in the Czech Republic).
When captured, Lafayette tried to use his American citizenship to get released. He contacted American officials, but they knew his status as a French officer came first. President Washington had told them not to get involved in European affairs. However, the U.S. did send money to Lafayette and his wife, who was also imprisoned in France. This money helped them have some privileges in prison.
There was an escape attempt organized by American supporters. A doctor named Justus Erich Bollmann and a medical student named Francis Kinloch Huger (son of the Benjamin Huger Lafayette stayed with) helped Lafayette. Lafayette managed to escape from a carriage ride but got lost and was recaptured.
Once his wife, Adrienne, was released from prison in France, she got passports for herself and her daughters from Connecticut, which had given the whole Lafayette family citizenship. Their son, Georges Washington, had been secretly sent to the United States. Adrienne and her daughters traveled to Vienna and got permission to live with Lafayette in prison. Lafayette was amazed when his wife and daughters arrived on October 15, 1795. The family spent the next two years together in confinement.
Through diplomacy and public appeals, Lafayette's supporters worked for his release. A young, victorious general, Napoleon Bonaparte, negotiated the release of the prisoners at Olmütz as part of a peace treaty. Lafayette's captivity of over five years ended. The family left Olmütz on September 19, 1797, and were officially handed over to the American consul in Hamburg on October 4.
The French government, called the Directorate, didn't want Lafayette to return unless he swore loyalty, which he refused to do. They sold his remaining properties, leaving him poor. The family, joined by Georges Washington, stayed near Hamburg. Because of conflict between the United States and France, Lafayette couldn't go to America, making him a man without a country.
Adrienne went to Paris and tried to get her husband allowed back into France. After Napoleon took power in 1799, Lafayette secretly slipped into France. Napoleon was angry but allowed Lafayette to stay. Lafayette lived quietly at La Grange, a property Adrienne had reclaimed. When Washington died in 1799, Napoleon held a memorial service, but Lafayette was not invited.
Retreat from Public Life
Napoleon restored Lafayette's citizenship in 1800, and he got some of his properties back. Napoleon offered him the job of French minister to the United States, but Lafayette refused. He said he loved America too much to be a foreign envoy there. In 1802, he was one of the few who voted against making Napoleon consul for life. Napoleon repeatedly offered him a seat in the Senate and the Legion of Honor, but Lafayette declined. He said he would only accept such honors from a democratic government.
In 1804, Napoleon became Emperor. Lafayette remained quiet, though he still gave speeches on Bastille Day. After the Louisiana Purchase, President Jefferson asked if he wanted to be governor, but Lafayette said no.
In 1807, Adrienne became ill during a trip. She died on December 25, 1807. After her death, Lafayette mostly stayed quietly at La Grange. Many important people, especially Americans, visited him. He wrote many letters, especially to Jefferson.
Bourbon Restoration and Return to Politics
In 1814, the countries fighting Napoleon invaded France and brought back the monarchy. Louis XVIII became king. Lafayette met the new king, but he disagreed with the new voting rules, which allowed only a few wealthy men to vote. Lafayette did not run for election in 1814.
Napoleon escaped from exile in 1815 and returned to France. Many French people joined him, and he took Paris, forcing Louis XVIII to flee. Lafayette refused Napoleon's offer to serve in the new government. However, he accepted election to the new Chamber of Representatives. After Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Lafayette called for Napoleon to give up his power.
On June 22, 1815, Napoleon gave up his power. Lafayette helped arrange for Napoleon to go to America, but the British stopped it. Napoleon ended up on the island of Saint Helena. Lafayette returned to his house, La Grange, as a private citizen.
Lafayette's homes in Paris and La Grange were open to any Americans who wanted to meet him. Many other people also visited. He supported several secret plots in France and other European countries, but none of them succeeded. He also supported the Greek Revolution starting in 1821. Louis's government thought about arresting Lafayette, but they worried about the political consequences. Lafayette remained a member of the Chamber of Deputies until 1823.
Grand Tour of the United States
President James Monroe and Congress invited Lafayette to visit the United States in 1824. This was partly to celebrate the nation's upcoming 50th anniversary. Lafayette felt it was undemocratic to travel on a warship, so he booked passage on a merchant ship. King Louis XVIII did not approve of the trip.
Lafayette arrived in New York on August 15, 1824, with his son Georges Washington and his secretary. He was greeted by Revolutionary War veterans. New York celebrated for four days and nights. He then traveled to Boston, expecting a quiet trip. Instead, cheering citizens lined the route, and welcomes were organized in every town. People felt it was a special experience to see the last hero of the nation's founding.
New York, Boston, and Philadelphia tried to outdo each other with celebrations. Philadelphia even renovated the Old State House (now Independence Hall) for his reception. Lafayette's visit started a wave of monument building. He often laid the cornerstone himself. Many cities commissioned portraits of him, and his image appeared on souvenirs. Lafayette planned to visit only the original 13 states for four months, but his trip lasted 16 months as he visited all 24 states.
The towns and cities he visited gave him excited welcomes. He visited the capital in Washington City and was surprised by President Monroe's simple clothes and the lack of guards at the White House. He went to Mount Vernon, Washington's grave. He was at Yorktown on October 19, 1824, for the anniversary of Cornwallis's surrender. He also met his old friend Jefferson at Monticello, and James Madison. He had also dined with 89-year-old John Adams.
Lafayette stayed in Washington City for the winter of 1824–25. He was there for the 1824 presidential election, where no candidate won a majority of votes. The House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams as president.
In March 1825, Lafayette began touring the southern and western states. He was usually escorted between cities by state militia. He entered each town through special arches and was welcomed by local leaders. There were special events, visits to battlefields, dinners, and time for the public to meet him.
Lafayette visited General Andrew Jackson at his home in Tennessee. He was on a steamboat on the Ohio River when it sank. He was rescued and taken to Louisville, Kentucky. From there, he traveled northeast, seeing Niagara Falls and taking the Erie Canal. He laid the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument in Massachusetts in June 1825. He even took some soil from Bunker Hill to be sprinkled on his grave.
After Bunker Hill, Lafayette visited Maine and Vermont, completing his tour of all the states. He met John Adams again. He celebrated his 68th birthday with President John Quincy Adams at the White House. He left the next day. Congress had given him $200,000 and a large piece of land in Florida. He returned to France on a ship renamed the USS Brandywine, in honor of the battle where he was wounded.
Revolution of 1830
When Lafayette returned to France, Charles X was king. Charles wanted to bring back absolute rule for the monarch. Lafayette was a leading opponent of the king. In the 1827 elections, 70-year-old Lafayette was elected to the Chamber of Deputies again. Charles dissolved the Chamber and ordered a new election, but Lafayette won his seat again.
Lafayette spoke out against Charles's limits on freedoms and new censorship of the press. He gave strong speeches in the Chamber, criticizing the king's decrees and supporting American-style government. He was so popular that Charles felt he couldn't safely arrest him.
On July 25, 1830, the king signed orders that removed voting rights from the middle class and dissolved the Chamber of Deputies. The next day, Parisians built barricades, and riots broke out. Lafayette, at La Grange, rushed to the city and was hailed as a leader of the revolution. When other leaders were unsure, Lafayette went to the barricades, and the royal troops were soon defeated.
Fearing the revolution would become too violent, like in 1789, leaders made Lafayette head of a restored National Guard. He was tasked with keeping order. The Chamber wanted to make him ruler, but he refused, saying it was against the constitution. He also refused to deal with Charles, who gave up his throne on August 2. Many young revolutionaries wanted a republic. But Lafayette felt this would lead to civil war. He chose to offer the throne to Louis-Philippe, who had lived in America and was more relatable than Charles. Lafayette got Louis-Philippe to agree to various reforms. Lafayette remained commander of the National Guard for a short time. The Chamber voted to get rid of his National Guard post on December 24, 1830. Lafayette went back into retirement.
Final Years and Death
Lafayette became more and more disappointed with Louis-Philippe. The king went back on his promises for reforms. The retired general angrily broke with the king, especially when the government used force to stop a strike. Lafayette used his seat in the Chamber to promote liberal ideas. His neighbors elected him mayor of La Grange and to the local council in 1831.
The next year, he was a pallbearer and spoke at the funeral of General Jean Maximilien Lamarque, another opponent of Louis-Philippe. He asked for calm, but there were riots in the streets. The king crushed this rebellion forcefully, which outraged Lafayette. He returned to La Grange until the Chamber met in November 1832. There, he criticized Louis-Philippe for bringing back censorship, just like Charles X had.
Lafayette spoke publicly for the last time in the Chamber of Deputies on January 3, 1834. The next month, he collapsed from pneumonia at a funeral. He recovered, but in May, he got caught in a thunderstorm and became bedridden. He died at age 76 on May 20, 1834, in Paris. He was buried next to his wife at the Picpus Cemetery. His son, Georges Washington, sprinkled soil from Bunker Hill on his grave. King Louis-Philippe ordered a military funeral to prevent the public from attending. Crowds protested being kept away.
In the United States, President Jackson ordered that Lafayette receive the same honors as George Washington had at his death. Both Houses of Congress were draped in black for 30 days, and members wore mourning badges. Former president John Quincy Adams gave a three-hour speech praising Lafayette. He called him "high on the list of the pure and disinterested benefactors of mankind."
Lafayette's Beliefs
Lafayette strongly believed in a constitutional monarchy. He thought that old traditions and new revolutionary ideas could work together. He imagined a democratic National Assembly working with a king, as France had always had. His close friendships with American Founding Fathers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson showed him how a democratic system could work. His ideas for France's government were directly influenced by the American system. For example, Lafayette believed in a two-part legislature, like the U.S. Congress. However, the Jacobins in France hated the idea of a monarchy, which led them to vote against it. This belief contributed to his loss of popularity, especially when Maximilien Robespierre gained power.
Lafayette wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789. He was also a strong opponent of slavery. While his famous document didn't specifically mention slavery, he made his views clear in letters to friends like Washington and Jefferson. He suggested that enslaved people should not be owned. Instead, they should work as free tenants on plantations. In 1785, he bought a plantation in the French colony of Cayenne to try out his ideas. He ordered that no enslaved people be bought or sold there. He spent his life working against slavery. He hoped his ideas would be adopted by Washington to free enslaved people in the United States. Washington eventually started some of these practices on his own plantation, though he did not free his slaves during his lifetime.
Lafayette's Legacy
Throughout his life, Lafayette believed in the ideals of the Age of Enlightenment, especially human rights and civic nationalism. His ideas were taken seriously by thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, he was seen as someone who fought for freedom without wanting anything for himself. He fought for a country that wasn't his own and didn't ask for pay. Samuel Adams praised him for giving up his comfortable life to fight for liberty. Many people at the time shared this view. They saw Lafayette as someone who wanted to advance freedom for all people, not just one nation.
During the French Revolution, Americans saw him as someone who wanted to bring American ideals to the Old World. His close relationship with George Washington, who was seen as the Father of His Country, strengthened this idea. Novelist James Fenimore Cooper became friends with Lafayette in the 1820s. He admired Lafayette's liberal views and praised him as a man who "dedicated youth, person, and fortune to the principles of liberty."
Lafayette became an American icon partly because he wasn't tied to any specific region of the country. He was foreign-born, didn't live in America, and had fought in different parts of the U.S. This made him a unifying figure. His role in the French Revolution also made him popular, as Americans saw him trying to find a middle path. Americans supported a republic, but they also remembered King Louis XVI as a friend to the United States. When Lafayette lost power in 1792, Americans often blamed political fighting for the downfall of a man they saw as above such things.
In 1824, Lafayette returned to the United States when Americans were worried about their country's future. Lafayette's hosts saw him as a judge of how successful their independence had become. Historian Lloyd Kramer said Lafayette "provided foreign confirmations of the self-image that shaped America's national identity." This was the belief that America's founders, institutions, and freedom created the most democratic and prosperous society in the world.
Historian Gilbert Chinard wrote in 1936 that Lafayette became a legend and a symbol very early in his life. He said that people have accepted this idea so much that trying to change it would be seen as disrespectful. Lafayette's name and image were used in 1917 to gain support for America joining World War I. This led to the famous statement "Lafayette, we are here." However, after the war, some veterans joked, "We've paid our debt to Lafayette, who the hell do we owe now?" By the end of the war, Lafayette was no longer seen as a national hero-symbol in the same way. But in 2002, Congress voted to give him honorary citizenship.
Lafayette's reputation in France is more complex. The response to his death was much quieter in France than in America. This might be because Lafayette was the last surviving hero of America's only revolution. France, however, had many chaotic changes in government. Lafayette's roles created a more mixed view of him in French history. Some historians have called him a "mediocre idol" or an "empty-headed political dwarf." However, many liberal and Marxist historians disagree with this view. A survey in 1989, before the French Revolution's 200th anniversary, found that 57 percent of French people admired Lafayette the most among figures from the Revolution. This shows he had more French supporters in the 1990s than he did in the 1790s.
-
The 1899 Lafayette silver dollar, honoring Lafayette and George Washington.
-
175th anniversary of Lafayette's arrival in America in 1777, 1952 issue.
-
200th anniversary of the birth of Lafayette, 1957 issue.
-
200th anniversary of Lafayette's arrival, 1977 issue as part of the Bicentennial Series.
See also
- List of places named for the Marquis de Lafayette
- LaFayette Motors
- Hermione (2014), a replica of the Hermione of 1779, currently in service
- Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution, a 2021 biography
