Lafayette Tour Marker, North Charleston, South Carolina (SC-172)

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. 

North Charleston did not exist as a municipality in 1825. The area consisted of plantations, rural roads, and river landings along the Cooper River. The Ralph Izard family’s plantation—where Lafayette slept the night of March 13, 1825—was one of the major estates in this region. Lafayette departed at first light and traveled directly toward Charleston, entering the city that morning for his major reception. Ralph Izard (1741/42–1804) was a wealthy South Carolina planter, diplomat, and U.S. Senator who played a significant political and diplomatic role during and after the American Revolution.

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