Marquisde Lafayette's Role in America's Independence

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How could a Frenchman play a vital role in America’s independence? Marquis de Lafayette was born in Chavaniac in 1757, and died in Paris in 1834. He was a French general and political leader who passionately supported the American Revolution, even before France had made an alliance with the United States. The Continental Congress appointed him as major general in 1777. Lafayette was injured at Brandywine in September 1777, and endured the cruel winter at Valley Forge with Washington and his troops. He died in 1834 of pneumonia. Marie Jean Paul Joseph Roche Yves Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette was born on September 6, 1757 into a noble military family. Lafayette’s father was killed during the Seven Year’s War, and his Mother and Grandmother both died in 1770, leaving him very wealthy in inheritance. In 1771, he joined the Royal Army for France, and in 1773 he married a 14-year-old Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles. He fled France during the French Revolution, and, inspired by tales of how the American colonies were fighting for their independence from Great Britain, ...

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