Marquis de Lafayette

Who Is He?

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (September 1757 – 20 May 1834), in the United States often known simply as Lafayette, was a aristocrat and military officer who fought in the . A close friend of , , and , Lafayette was a key figure in the of 1789 and the of 1830.

Born in , in the province of in south central , Lafayette came from a wealthy landowning family. He followed its martial tradition, and was commissioned an officer at age 13. He became convinced that the American cause in its revolutionary war was noble, and traveled to the New World seeking glory in it. There, he was made a major general; however, the 19-year-old was initially not given troops to command. Wounded during the , he still managed to organize an orderly retreat. He served with distinction in the . In the middle of the war, he returned home to lobby for an increase in . He again sailed to America in 1780, and was given senior positions in the . In 1781, troops in Virginia under his command blocked forces led by until other American and French forces could position themselves for the decisive .

Lafayette returned to France, and in 1787 was appointed to the , which was convened in response to the fiscal crisis. He was elected a member of the , where representatives met from the of French society—the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. After the forming of the , he helped write the , with Thomas Jefferson's assistance; inspired by the , this document invoked to establish basic principles of the democratic nation-state. In keeping with the philosophy of natural liberty, Lafayette also advocated for the end of slavery. After the , Lafayette was appointed commander-in-chief of the and tried to steer a middle course through the French Revolution. In August 1792, the radical factions ordered his arrest. Fleeing through the , he was captured by troops and spent more than five years in prison.

Lafayette returned to France after secured his release in 1797, though he refused to participate in Napoleon's government. After the of 1814, he became a liberal member of the , a position he held for most of the remainder of his life. In 1824, President invited Lafayette to the United States as the nation's guest; during the trip, he at the time, meeting a rapturous reception. During France's July Revolution of 1830, Lafayette declined an offer to become the French dictator. Instead, he supported as king, but turned against him when the monarch became autocratic. Lafayette died on 20 May 1834, and is buried in in Paris, under soil from . For his accomplishments in the service of both France and the United States, he is sometimes known as "The Hero of the Two Worlds".