The Marquis de Lafayette served as a major American ally and Continental Army general during the Revolutionary War.
Born Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, he arrived in North America in 1777 as a young French nobleman eager to support the American cause. Congress commissioned him a major general, and George Washington soon became both his commander and close friend.
Lafayette fought at Brandywine in 1777 and was wounded there. He later commanded American forces in Virginia during the 1781 campaign against British General Charles Cornwallis. His troops helped contain Cornwallis before the allied victory at Yorktown.
Lafayette’s role reflected the wider French alliance, which provided soldiers, ships, weapons, and money. He returned to France after the war but remained an influential supporter of constitutional and liberal causes. His celebrated 1824–1825 tour of the United States made him a living symbol of the Franco-American connection.