%20(1).png)
Who Was Lafayette?
The 200th Anniversary of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: A Historic Tribute to the Hero of Two Worlds
In 1824, the nation was fast approaching its 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. President James Monroe and Congress invited the Marquis de Lafayette to return to America, hoping his visit might spark patriotic excitement after one of the most bitterly fought elections in U.S. history. Lafayette hoped to bring back the story of a successful democracy to France to revive liberal political views amidst conservative rule.
At the end of the Revolutionary War, Lafayette returned to France and pursued both a military and political career, advocating for the ideals of liberty and democracy for which he and Washington fought side by side. Lafayette and President Monroe had a long history of serving together during the war, making Monroe’s invitation a natural gesture that Lafayette warmly accepted.
On his return trip, Lafayette received a hero's welcome throughout his tour. His Farewell Tour saw the now 67-year-old last surviving major general of the American Revolution celebrated across America. Each city and town worked to welcome their distinguished guest in grand style, holding picnics, parades, dedications, and balls. His planned 2-to-3-month tour stretched into a 13-month celebration as he traveled over 6,000 miles by carriage, stagecoach, canal barge, and steamboat, visiting all 24 existing states and Washington, D.C.
In western Pennsylvania, Lafayette visited West Alexander, Clayville, Uniontown, Fayette County, Butler, and Mercer, reconnecting with friends and commemorating historical sites. In Mercer, he stayed at the Hackney Tavern (later the Humes Hotel), an event now commemorated with a historical marker. He also spoke at Allegheny College in Meadville and visited Fort LeBoeuf and Lake Erie.
The 200th Anniversary of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour highlights the legacy of a man who embodied values such as friendship, respect, honor, liberty, and democracy. The William G. Pomeroy Foundation and The Lafayette Trail, Inc., have launched a historic marker series to commemorate Lafayette’s Farewell Tour, with up to 175 markers planned nationwide. The initiative also partners with America250, a nonpartisan effort reflecting on America’s past and future as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.
The Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834) was a French aristocrat and close ally of George Washington during the American Revolution. Known as the “Hero of Two Worlds,” Lafayette fought for liberty in both America and France, becoming a global symbol of democracy and friendship. Reflecting on the first time he heard of America, Lafayette wrote: “When I first learned the name of America, I loved her. When I learned her struggles for liberty, I burned with the desire to shed my blood for her.” His 1824–1825 Farewell Tour honored his contributions to American independence.
Portrait of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1792), by Joseph-Désiré Court.