LAFAYETTE’S TOUR

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LAFAYETTE'S TOUR
ON JUNE 7, 1825, GENERAL
LAFAYETTE, NOTED ABOLITIONIST,
WAS ADDRESSED FROM THE
CENTER ARCH OF THE ERIE CANAL
AQUEDUCT BY W.B. ROCHESTER.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2025

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.

In early June of 1825, General Lafayette was travelling down the Erie Canal from Lake Erie towards Rochester. He was met in Lockport by a delegation from Rochester and then escorted to the city. On June 7, 1825, his arrival in Rochester was announced with cannon and gunfire, as well as drums. At 6 pm he arrived and was met by a flotilla of twelve boats, carrying flags and a band playing music on one. The General visited each boat, greeting them with individual salutations. The boats then fell into a line, with the General in the middle, and then proceeded through Rochester. Citizens gathered on bridges to watch him pass by, and they had built a stage on the aqueduct. The General was received by a delegation, and a speech was given by the Hon. W. B. Rochester, at the time an Eighth Circuit Court Judge and son of Nathaniel Rochester, the founder of the city. The General continued on to Canandaigua later that evening.