President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown.
On August 22, 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette traveled through Plainfield, Connecticut. That night, he stayed at Eaton’s Tavern, located on the southern corner of Gallup and Norwich Streets. Lafayette’s party had departed from New London earlier that morning and attended a reception held in his honor in Norwich earlier that day. On August 23, he continued on to Providence to visit the state house before arriving in the Boston area that evening.
Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.