Lafayette Tour Marker, Waterford, Connecticut (CT-207)

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.

On August 22, 1824, Lafayette was traveling from Saybrook, Connecticut, to New London, escorted by a delegation from the Committee of Arrangements of New London. They stopped first for breakfast in Lyme, then proceeded to Waterford, where citizens had gathered to join the escort to New London. The delegation and citizens then escorted the General to the mansion of Judge Elias Perkins. 

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