Lafayette Tour Marker, Warrenton, Virginia (VA-)

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 August 24, 1825, General Lafayette was en route from Warrenton towards Washington, D.C. He was traveling with the former President, James Monroe, as well as Chief Justice John Marshall, his son (George Washington Lafayette), and his secretary (Auguste LeVasseur). Lafayette was invited to stop in the village of New Baltimore, just outside of Warrenton. When the party stopped in the village, the citizens greeted him, and it was reported that they partook of refreshments at the local tavern, then owned by James Hampton. The party then continued on, accompanied by some citizens, towards James Monroe’s home for the evening.

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