Lafayette Tour Marker, Canandaigua, New York (NY-42)

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. 

Upon reaching Canandaigua on the evening of June 7, 1825, Lafayette was greeted by a crowd and cannon fire. He dined at a local hotel and spent the night at the nearby mansion of John Greig, one of the most influential figures in early 19th‑century Canandaigua—an immigrant lawyer who became a major land agent, banker, civic leader, and political figure

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