| The Marquis de Lafayette, whose full name was Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette, is referred to in North America as Lafayette.
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Lafayette was born on September 6th, 1757 in Chavaniac-Lafayette, 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 French Army the following year, and in 1773 married 14-year-old Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, a member of another prominent French family. He was a commissioned officer at the age of 13 years.
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In 1777, inspired by stories of the colonists’ struggles against British oppression, he went to the United States during the Revolutionary War, at the age of 19, because of his belief in the American cause and his desire to seek glory.
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He was initially rebuffed by colonial leaders, but he impressed them with his passion and willingness to serve without pay, and was named a major-general in the Continental Army. His first major combat duty came during the Battle of Brandywine, when he was shot in the leg while helping to organize a retreat. General George Washington, requested doctors to take special care of Lafayette, igniting a strong bond between the two that lasted until Washington’s death.
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Lafayette briefly left the United States during the war to try and muster more support in France.
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As commander of the Virginia Continental forces in 1781, he helped keep British Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis’ army pinned at Yorktown, Virginia, while divisions led by Washington and France’s Comte de Rochambeau surrounded the British and forced a surrender in the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.
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Following a winter in Valley Forge with Washington, Lafayette burnished his credentials as an intelligent leader while helping to draw more French resources to the colonial side. In May 1778, he outwitted the British sent to capture him at Bunker Hill, later renamed Lafayette Hill. He then rallied a shaky Continental attack at Monmouth Courthouse to force a stalemate.
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After the American Revolution, Lafayette returned to France hoping to help the cause of freedom in his own country. After the storming of the Bastille he was put in charge of the National Guard.
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With the country on the verge of major political and social upheaval, Lafayette was named commander of the Paris National Guard as violence broke out in 1789, Lafayette was obligated to protect the royal family, a position that left him vulnerable to the factions vying for power.
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In 1792 those radical factions ordered his arrest. He attempted to flee through Belgium and was captured by Austrian troops. He spent 5 years in prison.
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Napoleon finally secured his release in 1797. Napoleon offered Lafayette several positions in his new government. Lafayette flatly declined wanting nothing to do with the new regime Napoleon created.
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Lafayette spoke regularly and publicly about the importance of liberty. He helped write the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen”, a document outlining the idea of equality for everyone. During it’s writing he asked Thomas Jefferson for assistance.
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After Charles X, of France was overthrown during the July Revolution in 1830, Lafayette was presented with the opportunity to become dictator. The aging statesman demurred to let rule pass to Louis-Philippe, and instead was re-established as commander of the National Guard. Following a battle with pneumonia, he died on May 20, 1834.
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Lafayette was definitely a Freemason, however the time and place of his raising has been lost. He became a Royal Arch Mason, joining Jerusalem Chapter No. 8 in New York City on September 12, 1824.
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Article by VW Bro. Barry D. Thom,
St. Clair Lodge # 577, GL of Canada in the Province of ON |
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