Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), a French general and political leader. The print's title translates as "general-in-chief of the National Guard," a position he held after the fall of the Bastille during the French Revolution in July 1789.

At the beginning of the American Revolution, Lafayette left France and joined George Washington's army, where he was appointed a major general and fought in Valley Forge and Yorktown.  He also negotiated for French aid to the colonists.  These achievements won him enduring popularity in America for the rest of his life as a popular symbol of the bond between France and the United States.  Returning to France in 1782, Lafayette was an active French political figure and military leader in the ensuing years.  He also designed the red, white and blue French flag, which remains in use.  Lafayette led the French army in a war with Austria, where he was captured and imprisoned, then liberated by Napoleon.  He returned to France in 1799.  During the French Restoration, Lafayette was a member of the chamber of deputies.  He remained highly regarded and influential in French governmental affairs.

Reference:

"Lafayette." Encyclopedia.com. 2002. http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/L/LafayettMJ.asp (21 March 2002).

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