Lafayette Tour Marker, Albion, New York (NY-29)

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’s passage along the Erie Canal and through Albion (Newport) was overnight, June 6–7, 1825, as he journeyed from Lockport to Rochester.  He rode in a packet boat drawn by white horses, a ceremonial trip staged in his honor. Lafayette's passage was symbolic — he was among the first distinguished guests to travel sections of the canal before its official inauguration in October of that year. 

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