Lafayette Tour Marker, Beacon, New York (NY-77)

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 19, 1824, General Lafayette visited Fishkill Landing—today’s Beacon, New York—where he was received at the home of Caroline Amelia Smith DeWindt, granddaughter of President John Adams. The Marquis de Lafayette, John Adams, and Captain William Smith ( Caroline’s father) were allies during the war. Lafayette arrived aboard the steamboat James Kent, and was welcomed into the DeWindt home, Cedar Grove, described by the Evening Post as “brilliantly lighted and decorated with portraits of Col. Smith and lady, and a bust of President Adams.”

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