Lafayette's Visit

On behalf of a grateful nation, 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. On 22 Oct. 1824, his itinerary brought him through this vicinity as he left Williamsburg for Norfolk. 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. Near here, Lafayette had commanded American troops at the Battle of Green Spring on 6 July 1781.