Lafayette Tour Marker, Elizabeth, New Jersey (NJ-3)

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 stop in Elizabeth was primarily an overnight stay at Boxwood Hall, the home of Jonathan Dayton, a Revolutionary War officer, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the youngest signer of the U.S. Constitution. Dayton and Lafayette fought together at Yorktown. Lafayette left the next morning for New York City.

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