The Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834) was a champion of freedom. Christened Gilbert de Motier in the Auvergne in France, and known simply as ‘General Lafayette’ to his American friends, the Marquis is most famous for the crucial role he played in the defeat of the British forces during the American Revolution. From his courageous battlefield leadership to his earnest fundraising efforts in France, he became an American hero – yet he also was a champion of human rights, campaigning for religious freedom, women’s rights, and the abolition of slavery.

Many years after the war, President James Monroe invited Lafayette to return to the United States, where he made a tour of 24 states. The year 2024 marks the bicentennial of this great excursion, and to mark this anniversary the American Friends of Lafayette are hosting a Grand Celebration, tracing his journey across the states by presenting exhibitions, talks, and dinner parties open to all. In joining this 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s tour, Princeton University Library Special Collections has digitized all of its Lafayette materials, including letters, portraits, and memorabilia, making them available through its digital exhibitions site. Here you can learn about the welcome that Princeton staged for Lafayette in 1824 and see numerous highlights of the university’s Lafayette collection.

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