Lafayette Tour Marker, Fredericksburg, Virginia (VA-126)

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 arrived in Fredericksburg on Saturday, November 20, 1824. His entourage was escorted by the La Fayette Cadets (a rifle company from Falmouth), the rifle company of Captain T.H. Botts, and the Washington Guards, along with the Marine Band from Washington. After being welcomed by Mayor Robert Lewis at the Town Hall & Market Place, he attended a ball in his honor at the Farmer’s Hotel. On Sunday, he visited the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4 (George Washington's Mother Lodge), and later attended Sunday services at St. George's Episcopal Church.

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