Lafayette Tour Marker, Jersey City, New Jersey (NJ-121)

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 passed through Jersey City on the morning of September 23, 1824, making a brief but symbolically rich stop that included breakfast in the young city, a ceremonial welcome at the Bergen Hotel at Five Corners, and the presentation of a cane. The cane was made from a local apple tree, under which, it was said, Lafayette and George Washington met to discuss strategy.

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