Lafayette Tour Marker, Bristol, Pennsylvania (PA-35)

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 had convinced French King Louis XVI to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

On September 27, 1824, the town of Bristol saluted Lafayette with a huge crowd and a parade under the “Welcome Friend” Arch. After Lafayette was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, he was cared for at the home of Simon Betz, whose niece, Mrs. Charles Bessonett, tended to his medical needs. While in Bristol, Lafayette visited the Bessonett home and lunched with the family and the woman who cared for him. The party then left for Philadelphia.

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