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 June 21, 1825, General Lafayette departed Boston, Massachusetts, to begin his tour of New England. On his way to Concord, New Hampshire, Lafayette stopped in the town of Pembroke. The Portsmouth Journal of Literature & Politics, dated July 2, 1825, records the event: He arrived in Pembroke about eleven in the evening, calling at the residence of Maj. Stark, the name of whose father will ever shine, bright on the annals of New Hampshire, and who was himself, although young, a participator in the perils of the revolution. He lodged that night at Fisk’s tavern. Major Caleb Start and his father were veterans of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment, Continental line. Lafayette departed for Concord the next day.
Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.
What's Nearby
Explore more of The Liberty Trail by visiting these nearby attractions.
Pembroke, NH 03275
Hopkinton, NH 03229
Derry, NH 03038