Marquis de Lafayette, 1757 - 1834
Born into a prominent aristocratic family in Auvergne, France, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, was a courtier in the court of Louis XVI but travelled to America at age 19 at his own expense. Appointed a major general of the Continental Army, he became a close associate of George Washington. Returning to France, Lafayette helped persuade the French court to supply money, ships, and men to the American cause. When he returned to America, he commanded troops from Virginia and helped defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown.
France rewarded Lafayette with the rank of brigadier general. During a trip through America in 1784, he was made honorary citizen of several states. Elected commander of the national guard of Paris and later commander of the army at Metz, Lafayette survived the French Revolution and retired from public life. In 1824, he accepted an invitation to tour America once again, and was greatly cheered in the cities and towns he visited.
In 1830, Lafayette led a faction that overthrew Charles X and installed Louis-Phillippe as the new king of France. Six months later, Lafayette retired from public life. He died in 1834.
Britannica.
Alias(es)
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette
Marquis de Lafayette
Born:
September 6, 1757Died:
May 20, 1834Ethnicity