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.
Lafayette and his party left Augusta, Georgia, on March 24, traveling inland along the Milledgeville Stage Road, a notoriously rutted and punishing route. The carriage nearly broke down, and Lafayette became ill from the constant jolting. He rested overnight in Warrenton and reached Sparta on March 26. Sparta served as the final overnight staging point before his grand reception in the state capital.
Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.