Which French aristocrat and military officer became a major American ally during the American Revolution?

The Marquis de Lafayette became a major American ally during the American Revolution after volunteering to serve the colonial cause.

Born Gilbert du Motier in France in 1757, Lafayette was a young aristocrat when he traveled to North America in 1777. He offered his military services without demanding payment and received a commission as a major general in the Continental Army. George Washington soon became his mentor and close friend.

Lafayette was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777 but remained with the American army. He later commanded troops in Virginia and helped coordinate operations against British forces. In 1781, his efforts to contain Cornwallis in Virginia contributed to the campaign that ended at Yorktown, where French and American forces achieved a decisive victory.

Lafayette is often confused with Rochambeau, the French general who commanded the main French expeditionary force, or von Steuben, the Prussian-born trainer of Continental troops. Lafayette was a volunteer French officer and American major general who became a lasting symbol of the alliance.