Lafayette Tour Marker, Sturbridge, Massachusetts (MA-103)

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 September 3, 1824, General Lafayette met with veterans and citizens in a procession to the Common and Porter’s stage house. The admiration engendered by the surviving veterans was recounted in the September 15, 1824, edition of the Massachusetts Spy: Near the middle of the procession, and within the lines, were arranged a large company of revolutionary officers and soldiers, some of whom had served under Lafayette. To each one the General was introduced. The scene was touching. As they grasped the hand of the venerable Hero, in a number of instances, the tear was seen to roll down the furrowed cheek of the veteran soldier.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.