Lafayette Tour Marker, Saugherties, NY (NY-211)

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 arrived in Saugerties on September 16, 1824, at 4:00 p.m., Lafayette’s steamboat docked at Clermont, where Robert L. Livingston awaited him. He and his party were escorted up the hill to the Livingston residence (Arryl House) by a troop of riflemen. Lafayette had arrived at Clermont by steamboat, reunited unexpectedly with a former comrade from Valley Forge, was greeted by riflemen and a regiment of uniformed soldiers, reviewed the troops amid cannon salutes, and was honored by local Masons before being hosted at the Livingston estate for an evening reception. Lafayette spent the evening and overnight at the Livingston estate before continuing his Hudson Valley tour.

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