The Marquis de Lafayette was a French aristocrat and officer who served as a general under George Washington in the American Revolution before returning to France, where he commanded the National Guard in the early French Revolution. With Thomas Jefferson's input, he drafted an early version of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, presented to the National Assembly on 11 July 1789.
Facts
Classification
Political RoleMilitary officer and politician 1 FAQs
What did Lafayette actually do in the American Revolution?
He was a major general at 19 and helped trap Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Lafayette was appointed a major general in the Continental Army at the age of 19. He fought with distinction in the Battle of the Brandywine and commanded an army in Virginia. He helped trap the British commander Lord Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown and force the British army's surrender in 1781.
Why did Lafayette lose popularity during the French Revolution?
Men of his National Guard killed and injured dozens of demonstrators in 1791.
He was elected commander of the newly formed National Guard of Paris and supported limited efforts to shift power from the aristocracy to the bourgeoisie. In 1791, however, members of his National Guard killed and injured dozens of demonstrators. Lafayette lost popularity as a result, and he became a commander in the French army.
Connections
Drafted
Presented an early draft, composed with Jefferson's input, to the National Assembly on 11 July 1789; the adopted text was substantially reworked by a later committee dominated by Abbe Sieyes.
Source Lafayette's Draft of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Encyclopedia Virginia)
Sources
1. Marquis de Lafayette (Wikipedia)
Lead sentenceQuote, Lead sentence
was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Continental Army
2. Marquis de Lafayette (Britannica)
Lafayette's Draft of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Encyclopedia Virginia)
Encyclopedia Virginia (Virginia Humanities)Drafted: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the CitizenView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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