Marquis de Lafayette Returns, a conversation with Elizabeth Reese
Episode description
2024 marks the bicentennial of the return of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States. In 1824, President James Monroe invited Lafayette, the last surviving Major General of the Revolution, to be the guest of the nation as a way to celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary. Lafayette's arrival in New York inspired four days and nights of continuous celebration—a response replicated throughout the country, as what started out as a 3 month tour turned into a 13-month marathon as Lafayette visited each of the 24 United States. We discuss the tour with Elizabeth Reese, a public historian and author of Marquis de Lafayette Returns: A Tour of America's National Capital Region. Elizabeth Reese is also deeply involved with plans for the bicentennial of Lafayette's visit being planned by the American Friends of Lafayette--see if he is coming to your town!