His full name was:
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834)
Known to Americans as LAFAYETTE
French Aristocrat, American Major General in the Revolutionary War, Commander of the French National Guard, French Statesman, Abolitionist, Defender of Human Rights, Political Prisoner, and advocate for a French Constitutional Monarchy. Know as Hero of Two Worlds.
Most Americans know that Lafayette was a hero during the American Revolutionary War, but many do not know about his remarkable life before and after fighting for America’s independence. Read on to learn why he became known as the Hero of Two Worlds.
Younger Years: Orphaned when young, Lafayette became one of the wealthiest men in France with a castle, estates, and a fortune. An early arranged marriage took him to the Court of Versailles and into the company of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. However, life at Court did not suit young Lafayette who was training to be an Army officer. Read more:
Revolutionary War: Hearing of the American’s fight for independence led Lafayette to leave France to enlist in the Continental Army as a volunteer. Although at first he was considered young and inexperienced, Lafayette soon proved himself to be capable after fighting with distinction at Brandywine. He became one of George Washington’s closest and most trusted friends. His position in France helped America receive troops and financial aid from the French. Read more:
His Later Years: Returning to France, Lafayette continued his fight for liberty and human rights. It was a time of turmoil in France and Lafayette was in the middle of the rebellion, playing a key role in the French Revolution. He was jailed in Austria as a political prisoner while members of his wife’s aristocratic family were guillotined. Read more:
Connecticut Lafayette Trail 