The Marquis de Lafayette

Section 1: Did you know that one French man was greatly responsible for the Americans victory

in the American revolution? He was the Marquis de Lafayette. I first learned about Lafayette in

fifth grade when i had to do a project where I had to pretend to be him for a day. The extent of

my knowledge of him before this project was that he was a rich French man that helped greatly

in the American revolution in many ways for the Americans with little reward and much self

sacrifice. The question I want to answer through this research is what were Lafayette's

motivations to help in the American Revolution and what was the impact of his help? I want to

answer this because this man should be more recognized for his contribution to the United States

founding.

Section 2: The research process for this paper was very complicated and took multiple months

of work. When I started my research I had some prior knowledge of Lafayette so that made the

process easier. I started with basic websites with a general summary of his life and times he had

during the American Revolution. These websites were helpful for facts on his early life, his

involvement in the American Revolution and what he did when he went back to France. As I

continued my research I discovered websites with more facts about his role during the war and

his times in battle there. On the other hand I found a few things frustrating about the research

process. One of the requirements for this paper was that as 2 of your sources you had a primary

source and a book. I could not find a good primary source or book until talking with Mrs.

Gleason when she gave me the idea to look up letters Lafayette wrote to George Washington and

gave me a book on The Marquis de Lafayette. These sources were very good and helped me in

my research into George Washington and Lafayettes relationship, Lafayette's contributions in

battle and many other topics of my research. As I continued my research into Lafayette my

opinion and questions I was asking changed as I progressed. I asked more questions about how

his life and who he was affected his motivations and actions. Well researching my book source I

thought of how his childhood where almost all of his family died was his motivation to join the

revolution. With his fast wealth and his father killed by the British and his mother and

grandparents dying he left to fight for liberty a cause he believed in rather then live the life of a

wealthy French man like his relatives did. When I realized this it helped me very much with the

project and understanding who Lafayette was. The research process for this paper was the most

complicated I have ever done but with some help I finished it.

Section 3: Throughout this project I discovered many things about one of the most important

men in the American Revolution. This man the Marquis de Lafayette was a rich Frenchman who

came to help in the revolution for free and by his own will. He helped lead battles, was a great

friend to George Washington and helped convince the French to help the Americans. He came

to this country to fight for a cause he believed in for completely selfless reasons. The main

question I will answer through my essay is, what were Lafayette's motivations to help in the

American Revolution and what was the impact of his help?

A very important part of his life that affected everything he would do later in life was his

childhood, so what was Lafayettes childhood like? Lafayette was born into a rich military

family in France. His father was killed in the Seven Years War with England when he was

2. His mother and grandmother both died when he was 13 leaving him with a very large

inheritance making him a rich man alone in the world at 13. Lafayette got married to a member

of another wealthy French family, Marie Adrienne Franoise de Noailles, when he was 16. He
had wealth, status and a wife at 16 but he was not ready to live the life of a wealthy Frenchman;

and with his family gone he was free to do what he felt he wanted to do. So he left France after

the king told him no he would not fund his venture to help in the revolution. He bought a ship

with his own money and left to fight for a cause he believed in, freedom and liberty. Many

things from his childhood connect to his later actions. His father's death due to France's war with

England might have been one of the reasons he went to the U.S. He may have wanted a different

life than what Frances society and family wanted him to be and fight for what he believed in.

Lafayette being a Frenchman had a great impact on his role in revolution and the legacy

he would leave behind. The French and English were rival nations that fought very

frequently. Not only were the British the French's greatest rival, Lafayette's father was killed in

the seven years war with England giving Lafayette another reason to fight the British. His father

was a general in the royal navy and his family had a long line of military positions. Lafayette

couldve been following his family but in his own way fighting for something he believed

in. Also at the young age of 16 he was not ready to settle down to the life of a rich French man

as his family had so he left to attain his own glory. The book, The Marquis de Lafayette

Reconsidered, by Laura Auricchio, talks about in France during Lafayette's time reformers

believed all citizens should be able to hold high military positions so boys in military families

could no longer count on a military life. Since Lafayette could no longer count on his future

French military job he went to fight for a cause he believed in. He was so committed to helping

the Americans that even when the French king said he would not fund his venture to America he

went anyway buying a ship with his own money. All these reasons could have contributed to

Lafayettes decision to leave France and help the Americans fight the British.
 Once Lafayette got to America what did he do to help the Americans and become one of

their most important leaders? He was originally not high in the ranks when he arrived but

quickly rose up in the army due to his leadership, intelligence and his willingness and loyalty to

fighting the revolution. His first battle was the Battle of Brandywine he was shot in the leg and

continued to organize a retreat anyway. This gained him respect and recognition by George

Washington who would become Lafayettes close friend. He was promoted to major general and

continued to lead well in battle. Lafayette went back to France during the war to try and

convince the French to send over troops and money for the Americans so they could defeat the

British. The resources Lafayette got from the French were key to the Americans winning the

revolutionary war. Lafayette continued to lead and help in every way he could in the war. In the

last battle of the war, Yorktown, He was a great help in keeping the British forces pinned down

forcing their final surrender. Lafayette became one of the most important leaders in the

revolution through his own work and character and was able to assist the Americans very much.

What was Lafayettes life like after the revolution? What did he do after the height of his

life in America? Lafayette was known as the hero of two worlds when he returned to France

because of what he did for America and France. He returned to France after the war and became

one of the leaders of the Revolution against the French Monarchy. Lafayette also had the idea

for the French to adopt The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and pushed the

idea of a governing body that represented the three social classes. Lafayette also had other

positions in government when he went back to France such as leader of the national guard and

had a seat in the Estates General. Lafayette went to America ten years before his death and was

given land and money by the government and he was celebrated in many ways including parades

for his service. He is known as a hero to America for his service in the American Revolution and
other things he did for the country. In France he fought for the people and for liberty which got

him his hero status. He was so admired in America that when he died, President Jackson

declared a national day of mourning, flags flew at half-mast, government buildings were draped

with crepe, and legislators around the country heard speeches in honor of Lafayette. (from the

book, The Marquis de Lafayette Reconsidered.) Lafayette was an admired man for the work

he did to help citizens not only of his country but the world.

Lafayette had many reasons to come to America and help in the revolution. He was a

selfless man and did many things throughout his life to help people obtain freedom not only

in America but also in France. Lafayettes story is still important today because of what he did

for our country and all the good acts he did should be remembered. He should be alongside

others more in the general knowledge of important people in the American Revolution.

Section 4: When I started this research I had basic knowledge of Lafayette from a project I did

on him in fifth grade. I knew about what he did in America and his childhood in France

briefly. As I did the research for this essay I learned much more about his role in battle during

the revolution, what he did when he went back to France and his beliefs and who he was as a

person. I now have a much deeper understanding of this great man and admire him very much.

I learned how long and hard research can be. This was one of the most difficult and

tedious projects I have ever done but it was good to learn so much about the revolution and

especially Lafayette. I learned many research skills and writing skills that can be brought into

many other things I do in my life.

I will apply the research and writing skills in many more academic projects I do

throughout my career. This Project also showed me if you persevere you can get any project no

matter how big done. Next time I do an I-Search paper I would find book/primary sources first
because they are the hardest. Also I would organize my research into sections better as it was

confusing to just look for the information randomly.

Section 5: Bibliography

Source A: Secondary Website

Citation: Biography.com Editors. Marquis de Lafayette. Biography.com. December 21, 2015.

Accessed April 27, 2017. http://www.biography.com/people/marquis-de-lafayette-21271783.

Footnote: Biography.com Editors, Marquis de Lafayette, Biography.com, December 21, 2015,

accessed April 27, 2017, http://www.biography.com/people/marquis-de-lafayette-21271783.

Source B: Secondary book

Citation: Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis Lafayette Reconsidered. New York: Vintage Books,

2015.

Footnote:Laura Auricchio, The Marquis Lafayette Reconsidered (New York: Vintage Books, 2015), 1.

Source C: Secondary website

Citation: Pavao, Janell. The Marquis de Lafayette. Revolutionary-war.net. 2016.

Accessed May 15, 2017. http://www.revolutionary-war.net/marquis-de-lafayette.html.

Footnote:Janell Pavao, The Marquis de Lafayette, Revolutionary-war.net, 2016, accessed May 15, 2017,

http://www.revolutionary-war.net/marquis-de-lafayette.html.

Source D:Secondary website

Citation:Notablebiography.com writers. Marquis de Lafayette Biography.

Notablebiography.com. 2017. Accessed May 15, 2017.

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/Lafayette-Marquis-de.html.
Footnote:Notablebiography.com writers, Marquis de Lafayette Biography, Notablebiography.com, 2017,

accessed May 15, 2017, http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/Lafayette-Marquis-de.html.

Source E: Primary letter

Citation:Marquis de Lafayette. Marquis de Lafayette to George Washington, September

8, 1781. Mountvernon.org. 2017. Accessed May 17, 2017.

http://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-sources-2/article/marquis-de-lafayette-

to-george-washington-september-8-1781/.

Footnote:Marquis de Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette to George Washington, September 8, 1781,

Mountvernon.org, 2017, accessed May 17, 2017, http://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-

sources-2/article/marquis-de-lafayette-to-george-washington-september-8-1781/.