Marquis de lafayette brief biography

1757-1834

Who Was Marquis de Lafayette?

Marquis de Lafayette served the Continental Army with distinction during the American Revolutionary War, providing tactical leadership while securing vital resources from France.

Lafayette fled his home country during the French Revolution, but the "Hero of Two Worlds" regained prominence as a statesman before his death on May 20, 1834.

Early Years

Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was born into a family of noble military lineage on September 6, 1757, in Chavaniac, France.

Lafayette's father was killed in battle during the Seven Years War, and his mother and grandfather both died in 1770, leaving Lafayette with a vast inheritance.

He joined the Royal Army the following year, and in 1773 married 14-year-old Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, a member of another prominent French family.

Colonial Ally

Inspired by stories of the colonists' struggles against British o