Inspirational Quotes by Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (French Aristocrat, General)

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834) was a French aristocrat, military officer, and political leader who played a pivotal role in both the American and French Revolutions.

Born into a noble family in Chavaniac, France, Lafayette joined the French army at a young age and later traveled to America to support the revolution. He fought in the American Revolutionary War (1777–79, 1780–82,) earning fame as a hero and close ally of George Washington. As a major general in the Continental Army, he played a critical role in the victory at Yorktown in 1781.

Upon returning to France, he championed liberal reforms and was active in the National Assembly of 1789. He promoted constitutional monarchy and human rights, led the National Guard, and helped draft the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789; Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen,) inspired by the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Reviled by Jacobins for his moderation, he fled to Austria but returned during Napoleon’s Consulate. Under the Restoration, he served in the Chamber of Deputies (1818–24,) later emerging as a leading figure in the 1830 July Revolution and again commanding the National Guard.

Lafayette recounted his experiences in Memoirs of General Lafayette (1837.) His life and influence were later chronicled by William E. Woodward in Lafayette: A Biography (1938.)

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