This week marks two hundred years since a 1825 tour of the United States by the Marquis de Lafayette. The French general served under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. LaFayette later became a key figure in the French Revolution in 1789. He also holds the distinction of being the only foreign leader ever invited to be a guest of the nation by order of Congress. President James Monroe asked LaFayette to tour the U.S., and that included Alabama. I spoke with Collier Neeley, Executive Director of the non-profit historical preservation group “The Landmark Foundation” about what’s going on this week.
NEELEY-- This week marks the 200 years. So the Marquis de Lafayette, or General Lafayette, as Americans called it, when he was here in 1824, 25 but this marks the anniversary of his visit. He was invited by Congress and President Monroe at the end of Monroe's term to come and visit the United States, see what the young Republic had become, and honor the marquis service to to the US. He was an American, a hero of the American Revolution, fought next to George Washington. Was kind of considered an adopted son of George Washington. And was here, you know, as was a part of the revolution in the founding of this country. And he loved this country dearly. So when he received the invitation in 1824, 25 he accepted, and he actually has the distinction of being the only person given the honor of guests of the nation by Congress. So he came here, he toured around the country, and he made it to Alabama on March 31 1825, and for the next couple of weeks, he toured through Alabama, stopped him at Fort Mitchell… stopped in Montgomery, Cahaba, Clayborn, and then ending his trip in Mobile, before he went on to New Orleans.
PAT-- Now, here's a stickler question from a person who was absolutely a non historian. Alabama was not one of the original 13 colonies. In fact, we didn't become a state until 1819, as I recall. Why would he include Alabama as part of his tour?
NEELEY-- Well, Alabama invited him first of all. But, you know, the nation was rapidly growing at that point. We expanded our boundaries beyond the Mississippi River, and he wanted to see what the country was becoming and see how we were meeting our potential. Because, you know, when he the last time he was here was that basically at the end of the American Revolution. And so all he knew were this original 13 states, and then watching us from abroad going through what he went through during the French Revolution. He recognized that, hey, United States has got something right, and they're cooking. I need to go check this out. And when President Monroe said that invitation, it was the opportunity to do it. I mean, look, he came in in New York, he went to Boston, he went down the Atlantic, seed board, over through Alabama, down to New Orleans, back up to the Mississippi River, and down the Cumberland River to Nashville, actually met with Andrew Jackson, and then even took a trip, a boat trip on the Erie Canal, so he got to see the country for what it was at that point in time.
DUGGINS-- Wow, I know this is like, super minutia, and if you don't have a good answer, I certainly don't either, but in any of his writings, did he say anything about like, ‘oh, visited Alabama. This was cool. That was cool. Anything like that?”
NEELEY-- Yeah. So he had a secretary with him. His son was with them, and they the Secretary and his son documented the trip pretty meticulously, and they really enjoyed being in Alabama. They enjoyed being in the South. One of the things about Lafayette is that he was just an incredibly gracious, humble and empathetic person, but he believed in, you know, freedom and liberty and the rights of men, and so he wanted to come south, not just to see how the country was expanding, but he also wanted to kind of deal with the slavery issue as well, and see What was happening, and see what American slavery had become. And he was actually quite critical the institution of slavery in the United States, and would blatantly point out the hypocrisy between saying that all men are created equal, but yet you're encirting people at the same time. And so he he addressed that issue why he was here at the same time, he recognized what was happening and was careful not to embarrass people, but also call to question in a very polite way. But he enjoyed being here. He was wined and dined the Montgomery threw a massive party for him, Governor Pickens like nearly blew out the state's budget and bankrupted the state because he wanted to make sure that Alabama gave Lafayette the best reception of all of the states.
DUGGINS-- Was there anything about this event that I should have asked about that I didn't. What do you think?
NEELEY-- So there's a big Alabama, like statewide Alabama celebration. It started yesterday, on Sunday with at Fort Mitchell with the. Celebration of Lafayette coming across the Chattahoochee River from Georgia. It will continue as Lafayette makes his way down the old federal Road, which we know is I 85 now to Montgomery. He'll (an actor portraying LaFayette) be here at Old Alabama town on Wednesday for reception. Information about that reception can be found at landmarks foundation.com or old alabamatown.com after after that, on Wednesday, he will go up to the Capitol. He'll do a replaying event and then be a part of a panel discussion at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. On Thursday, the third and then Friday Lafayette, as well as some some other travelers and characters from Lafayette's life in the United States, will be at old Alabama town for people to come and meet the marquee and meet some other folks, and kind of learn what life was like in 1825, Alabama, on Friday the fourth.
