Lafayette in Northern Virginia

Sponsored by American Friends of Lafayette

• Location: Virginia
• Travel Type: Driving
• Tour Duration: 2 hours
• Language:

About This Tour
More than four decades after the American Revolution, one of its most celebrated heroes, Major General Lafayette, traveled from his French homeland to visit the United States one last time. Millions of Americans flocked to see him during his Farewell Tour of all 24 of the young country’s existing states, plus Washington, D.C., which was called Washington City then.
 
Why was General Lafayette greeted like a nineteenth-century rock star throughout the country? Was it his heroic feats in battle and diplomatic successes during the war? His close relationship with George Washington? Or his open and deeply felt commitment to liberty and the “rights of man” — all men and women, including those still held in bondage in this country?
 
This mobile audio tour explores these questions while following in the footsteps of this fascinating historical icon as he visits his good friends, including Chief Justice John Marshall and presidents James Monroe and John Quincy Adams, as well as countless fellow Revolutionary War veterans, their families and communities. The tour features 14 stories about the places Lafayette visited in Northern Virginia during his Farewell Tour, including:
 
·      Arlington
·      Alexandria
·      Mount Vernon
·      Leesburg
·      Culpeper
·      Warrenton
·      And much more!
 
Other Tour Highlights
This audio tour brings the Virginia of the 1820s to life, exploring the issues, events, and memories surrounding Lafayette’s visit, such as:
 
·      The famous Virginia Campaign, the last major battle of the American Revolution
·      Lafayette’s deep friendship with George Washington and consequent close relationships with his step-grandchildren
·      The dramatic hazards of 1820s travel
·      Lafayette’s strong connections to Freemasonry
·      America’s new standing in the world as a self-governing nation
·      Lafayette’s 40-year anti-slavery advocacy and his efforts to influence his American friends who still supported the abhorrent institution
·      The surprising legacy of the commander in chief of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee
·      A controversial, short-lived movement to release enslaved African Americans in exchange for their agreement to leave the country
 
Created by historians who are dedicated to preserving Lafayette’s legacy, this mobile audio tour will ignite your own passion for the history of the United States and the ideals upon which it was built.
 
Tour Sponsor
This tour is brought to you by the American Friends of Lafayette (AFL), an historical and patriotic society whose purpose is to educate the public about the life and career of General Lafayette through educational programs, publications, lectures, and commemorative events.
 
The AFL intends to commemorate Lafayette’s Farewell Tour by holding events 200 years to the day after his 1824 and 1825 visits, at the same places where he stopped.
 
Find More Tours Near You
If you are interested in more audio tours about Lafayette and the American Revolution, you’ll enjoy Lafayette in Central Virginia, Lafayette in Hampton Roads, Lafayette in North Carolina, Lafayette in New Hampshire, and Lafayette in New York City. To find more tours in Virginia — or wherever your travels may take you — visit TravelStorys.com. Every place has a story!