Marquis de La Fayette (born Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier) was an aristocratic French general who served in both the American Revolutionary War, under George Washington (for whom he named his first son), and in the French Revolution. Born into a family of impeccable ancestry, the Marquis de La Fayette was a French military officer who distinguished himself in battle with the Continental Army of the American Revolution, and rallied the French government to support the American efforts to free themselves from Britain. Returning to France a hero, de La Fayette now became involved in his own country’s revolution, as a leader of the National Guard in charge of protecting the royal family. In 1824, de Lafayette made yet another voyage to America, touring all of the states and cementing the cordial relations between the United States and France. In 1834 the Marquis died of pneumonia – he is honored and revered in his own country, certainly, but his status in America is monumental, with countless representations of him from sea to sea.
