While he was quickly wounded in the Battle of Brandywine shortly after he landed, Lafayette went on to play a significant role in the revolution winning the battle of Yorktown and helped shape America. As the last surviving Revolutionary General he returned 50 years later in 1824.

Marquis de Lafayette, General, French statesman and military leader Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Montier Lafayette is best remembered for his role in the Revolutionary War. Sympathetic to the American cause, he aided the colonists through the provision of experienced military leadership. The Frenchman quickly became a favorite of General George Washington, who appointed him Major General in the Continental Army during 1777. The next year, Lafayette returned to France following the formal agreement of the France/United States alliance against Great Britain. Once in France, he actively lobbied for the allotment of increased military and financial aid for the Colonies. In 1780, Marquis de Lafayette returned to America and served valorously in the Virginia campaign, which forced the surrender of Lord Charles Cornwallis in 1781.As a true proponent of democracy, Lafayette assumed a leading role in the French Revolution of 1789. He became a member of the National Assembly, from which position he prepared the Declaration of the Rights of Man, a bill of rights based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights (also a major source for the American Declaration of Independence). He commanded the French National Guard and joined the Feuillants, a moderate political party that advocated a constitutional monarchy. He gained leadership of a French division in 1792 in the war against Austria. Chastised by the Jacobins within his unit (who were far more radical than the Feuillants) Lafayette fled to Flanders where Austrian authorities imprisoned him for five years. Upon his return to France, he avoided the dictatorial politics of Napoleon Bonaparte. Following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, Lafayette resumed his political career by serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies in 1815 and from 1818 to 1824. He toured the United States in 1824 during which time Congress voted him a gift of $200,000 and a large tract of land. Marquis de Lafayette, the statesman and general, maintained the convictions of democracy, social equality, and religious freedom throughout the remainder of his life.

Photo © Howard Pyle

site of the Day

Battle of Brandywine - 1777 - The Battle of Brandywine, a significant event in the American Revolutionary War, occurred on September 11, 1777. The American Continental Army, led by General George Washington, clashed with the British army under Sir William Howe. Despite Washington’s efforts to prevent the British from capturing Philadelphia, a misunderstanding of the terrain led to the British outflanking the American forces. The Americans put up a strong fight but were eventually overrun, leading to a British victory. However, the American army managed to retreat in an orderly fashion, preserving their forces for future battles. This battle led to the British capture of Philadelphia.

Photo © John Trumbull

site of the Day

Battle of Yorktown - 1781 - The Battle of Yorktown, which unfolded in 1781, marked a pivotal moment in the American Revolutionary War. This was where General George Washington, leading American troops, and Comte de Rochambeau, commanding French forces, joined together to confront the British Army, led by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis. The Franco-American forces successfully besieged Cornwallis’s troops in Yorktown, Virginia, leaving them with no choice but to surrender. This significant victory essentially brought an end to the war’s military operations. It also set the stage for the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially ended the conflict.

Photo © Tom Zion

site of the Day

Bunker Hill Monument - 1827 - The Bunker Hill Monument stands 221 feet tall at Breed's Hill, the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution, fought on June 17, 1775. Control of this high ground near the harbor was important to the British occupation of Boston. When colonial forces chose to fortify Charlestown, they bypassed the more dominant "Bunker Hill" and dug in on Breed's Hill, which was lower and closer to the water. "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" is the legendary order attributed to Colonel William Prescott to make sure that each shot would count. The poorly trained and ill prepared colonial forces repelled two major assaults by the British Army before retreating. Almost half of the British soldiers were either killed or injured. Although the colonists lost the battle, their bravery and strong showing against the British encouraged them to fight on (National Park Service website). The Bunker Hill Monument Association was formed in 1825 to establish an enduring tribute to the Battle of Bunker Hill. It decided on the form of an obelisk, and chose local carver and carpenter Solomon Willard as the architect. Willard estimated that the most cost effective way to build the structure would be to quarry the stone for construction using a quarry that the Association would own outright. He suggested using a railroad to transport the stone, seeing potential savings in taking advantage of emerging railway technology. Only a few experimental railroads had been used in the United States at that time. The Association acquired Pine Hill Quarry in Quincy in 1825, just 12 miles from the monument site. The land later became known as the Bunker Hill Quarry. The Granite Railway was constructed in 1826 to service the Association's work.

Photo © cultureNOW

site of the Day

Union Square Timeline Medallion 20 - 1876 - Bartholdi sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, cast his Marquis de Lafayette statue in 1873. It was dedicated on July 4, 1876. Originally set facing the Washington statue, the work depicts Lafayette pledging his sword to the General.

July 31st, 2025

This is an appropriate moment to celebrate Lafayette and his influence on America and the Revolutionary cause. Fifty years later James Monroe invited him to make his Farewell Tour as the Nation's Guest. It really transformed our country. He saw all 24 states and met with all the dignitaries of the day. He was in Congress while the election of 1824 was being certified, travelled the almost completed Erie Canal which made New York into the Financial Capitol of the country, and went to Bunker Hill to lay the cornerstone for the monument (and take back some dirt to be buried under). When John Delmonico saw that there was no public place to take Lafayette for dinner that wasn't a tavern, he invented fine dining. In addition to the statues in his honor, streets, towns, and universities were named for him.

Consider the world outside a museum. Imagine that the world that we live in is really another kind of museum where the works of art and architecture exist in the landscape itself. Explore buildings of the past, present and future. Look at the vast selection of artwork that graces the public realm. And discover how places have evolved over time. Deconstruct the layers of history that form the fabric of our urban landscape. Meet people who have made their mark on our cities and country who have lived in the past or are living now. Listen to their voices. Take (or make) a tour. Our curators are the artists, architects, photographers and historians who created the images, podcasts and videos to share their knowledge and insights. Our collaborators are museums, universities, cities, and civic organizations who are the stewards of our shared cultural history.

Photo © Ralph Earl, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET)

July 31st, 1740 - Born - Marinus Willett

July 31st, 1777 - Commissioned in the Continental Army - Marquis de Lafayette

Photo © US Patent & Trademark Office

July 31st, 1790 - Issued - 1st US Patent Issued

Photo © Public Domain

July 31st, 1803 - Born - John Ericsson

Photo © Harper's Weekly

July 31st, 1822 - Born - Abram Stevens Hewitt

Photo © Gilbert Stuart, Museum of Fine Arts

July 31st, 1830 - Died - Colonel James Swan

Photo © Library of Congress (LOC)

July 31st, 1875 - Died - Andrew Johnson

Photo © F. J. Fritsch, New York Public Library

What Happened Here

Feb 7, 1824 - Lafayette's Farewell Tour 1824 August 15: Lafayette arrives in America as an honored guest of the United States of America at President James Monroe's invitation. He is received with wild adulation. When asked by hosts how he wished to be introduced to his audiences, he replies: "As an American General."1824 August: Lafayette visits the spot where the Boston Liberty Tree had once stood.1824 September 28-October 6: Lafayette makes a memorable visit to Philadelphia with his unforgettable speech at the State House, today's Independence Hall.1824 October: The town fathers at Easton, Pennsylvania decide to name their institution of higher learning in honor of General Lafayette after listening to his State House speech in Philadelphia. Lafayette College becomes one of America's greatest memorials to General Lafayette.1825 June 17: Lafayette helps to lay the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill monument in Charlestown, Massachusetts on the 50th anniversary of the battle.1825 September 9: Gilbert departs for France after his spectacular visitation to each of the 24 states of the Union. He sails aboard The Brandywine, a frigate named in his honor.

Photo © John Trumbull

What Happened Here

Sept 19, 1777 - Battles of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga, fought during September and October 1777, stand as pivotal moments in the American Revolutionary War. The British, under General John Burgoyne, aimed to gain control of the Hudson River Valley to split the American colonies and weaken their resistance. Burgoyne's force of about 7,200 troops advanced from Canada, intending to meet other British forces in Albany, New York. The American forces, commanded by General Horatio Gates and numbering around 9,000, were prepared to counter this move.The first battle, known as Freeman's Farm, took place on September 19, 1777. Although the British initially gained ground, they suffered heavy casualties. Both sides endured significant losses, but the Americans managed to hold their positions. The second battle, fought at Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, saw the Americans launch a successful counterattack, inflicting severe losses on the British and forcing their retreat. This crucial engagement culminated in General Burgoyne's surrender to General Gates on October 17, 1777.This victory marked a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. It bolstered American morale and played a critical role in securing French support for the American cause. The French alliance provided vital military assistance and resources, significantly enhancing the American effort to achieve independence. The Battles of Saratoga are thus remembered not only for their immediate tactical significance but also for their broader strategic impact on the war and the eventual success of the American Revolution.

1653 New Amsterdam and Manhattan today

The Original and the Redrawn Castello Plan of New Amsterdam This is the earliest known map of New Amsterdam, which was later renamed New York, created in 1660 by Jacques Cortelyou, the General Governor of Nieuw Amsterdam at that time. It is the only map dating from the Dutch period of the city's history. The text at the top of the image reads: 'Image of the city Amsterdam in New Netherland. A redraft of the 1660's Castello Plan of New Amsterdam, completed in 1916 by John Wolcott Adams and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes.

Typical of the interior decay is the Great Hall which did not stand the test of time very well.

Facade Kate Milford Now - Facade ESS watercolor Then

1916 - Redrawn Castello Plan of New Amsterdam A redraft of the 1660's Castello Plan of New Amsterdam, completed in 1916 by John Wolcott Adams and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes.

1873 - Bird's-eye view of New York

1874 - Bird's-eye view of New York Showing the waterfront, Brooklyn Bridge, with Battery Park and Governors Island in the foreground.

Phone App
Membership
Add Content
FAQ
Help
Contact Us

Newsletter Sign Up

37-24, 24th St, Suite 102, Long Island City, NY 11101

Patent Pending © 2002-2025 Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy