Lafayette Tour Marker, Beaufort, South Carolina (SC-144)

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. 

After leaving Edisto Island on March 17, Lafayette traveled by water down the South Carolina coast. He arrived in Beaufort on the morning of March 18, 1825, landing at a decorated wharf where crowds had gathered. Beaufort had a strong patriotic identity: it was home to Thomas Heyward Jr., signer of the Declaration of Independence; the region had seen fighting during the British occupation of the Lowcountry; and many Beaufort families had deep ties to the Continental Army and militia.

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