Lafayette Tour Marker, New Lebanon, New York (NY-18)

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 13, 1825, General Lafayette visited New Lebanon, New York, where he toured Columbia Hall, viewed the famous medicinal springs, and then departed for Pittsfield, Massachusetts. New Lebanon was his final stop in New York State before continuing on to Boston to lay the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument. After his brief stay, he continued westward into Massachusetts, greeted by enthusiastic crowds along the way.

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