Program

Lafayette Trail

Subject

People, Site

Location

13 Park Ave, Lockport, NY 14094, USA

Lat/Long

43.168957, -78.697135

Grant Recipient

The Lafayette Trail, Inc.

When America declared its independence on July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies were pulled into a conflict with one of the world’s most formidable powers, Great Britain. The colonies’ actions against Great Britain inspired a young French aristocrat and military officer, Marquis de Lafayette, to depart his native France to fight in the American Revolution. Lafayette served as a commander with the Continental Army throughout the war and helped secure French support for the American cause. This support played an integral part in securing American victory during the war.

Celebrated as a hero in the U.S and France, Lafayette eventually returned to his home country. In 1824, Marquis de Lafayette was invited to visit the United States for the first time in 41 years. As an American hero and one of the only surviving commanders from the Revolution, Lafayette’s visit to the U.S. was highly anticipated and met with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. Lafayette’s Tour extended from 1824 to 1825. During this time, he visited Washington, D.C., as well as major cities and small communities across 24 states.

On June 6, 1825, General Lafayette departed Fort Niagara and arrived in Lockport, New York to inspect the ongoing construction of the Erie Canal. Auguste Levasseur, French diplomat and Lafayette’s secretary, described their reception:

“On a height near Lockport we met a troop of from seventy to eighty citizens on horseback, and under this escort entered the village, where the general was saluted by an extraordinary kind of artillery. Hundreds of small blasts, charged with the powder by the workmen engaged in quarrying the bed of the rock to form the canal, exploded almost at the same moment, and hurled fragments of rock into the air, which fell amidst the acclamations of the crowd.”

During his brief visit, Lafayette met with veterans, citizens, and freemasons. Following a dinner hosted by Col. Asher Saxton, Lafayette was escorted to the canal boat, the Rochester, and continued his tour along the Erie Canal toward Albany, New York.

Links

• The Lafayette Trail