Marquis de Lafayette: The Hero of Two Worlds
Born into a wealthy family in 1757 France, Marquis de Lafayette, or simply Lafayette, as he was known in the colonies, lost his father during a battle in the Seven Years’ War, followed by his mother and grandfather who both died in 1770, leaving Lafayette with little family but a vast inheritance.
Inspired by stories of the colonists’ struggles against British oppression, Lafayette sailed to the newly declared United States in 1777, intent on joining the uprising. Initially rebuffed by colonial leaders, he soon impressed them with his passion and willingness to serve for free.
Lafayette Joins Continental Army
Combined with his knowledge of formation-style European warfare and his imaginative suggestions for skirmish tactics to combat the British quickly allowed him to rise to the rank of major-general in the Continental Army. His first major combat duty came during the September 1777 Battle of Brandywine, when he was shot in the leg while helping to organize a retreat.
General George Washington requested doctors to take special care of the wounded Frenchman, igniting a strong bond between the two men which lasted until Washington’s death. Following a hard winter at Valley Forge, in May of 1778, he outwitted the British, who were intent on capturing him at Bunker Hill, before engaging in a shaky attack at Monmouth Courthouse which ended in a stalemate with the British.
After traveling to France to press Louis XVI for more aid, Lafayette assumed increased military responsibility upon his return to the American war effort. As commander of the Virginia Continental forces in 1781, he helped keep British Lieutenant-General Lord Cornwallis’ army pinned down at Yorktown, Virginia, while divisions led by Washington and France’s Count Rochambeau surrounded the British in a flanking maneuver, forcing Britain’s ultimate surrender in the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.
Hero of Two Worlds
Known as the “Hero of Two Worlds” after returning to his home country in December 1781, Lafayette rejoined the French army and organized trade agreements with Thomas Jefferson, who was at the time the American ambassador to France.
With the country on the verge of major political and social upheaval, Lafayette advocated for a governing body representing the three social classes, and drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen with the help of Thomas Jefferson. Named commander of the Paris National Guard as violence broke out in 1789, Lafayette was obligated to protect the royal family, a position that left him vulnerable to the many factions vying for power.
He fled the country in 1792, but was captured by Austrian forces and held prisoner until 1799. After Charles X was overthrown during the July Revolution of 1830, Lafayette was presented with the opportunity to become a dictator. The aging statesman demurred, letting power pass to Louis-Philippe. Following a battle with pneumonia, he died on May 20th, 1834, making Lafayette a leading crossover element of two historic revolutions.