The last living general of the American Revolutionary War made a tour of America, a national "Farewell Tour" in 1824-1825. Marquis de Lafayette included 10 stops in Alabama on his 24-state tour:
March 31, 1825 — Fort Mitchell
March 31, 1825 — Seale
April 1, 1825 — Warriorstand
April 2, 1825 — Waugh
April 3, 1825 — Montgomery
April 4, 1825 — Selma
April 5, 1825 — Cahawba
April 6, 1825 — Claiborne
April 7, 1825 — Mobile
April 8, 1825 — Gulf Shores
Now, the 200th anniversary of Lafayette's historic tour will be observed at seven of those Alabama stops. Each 2025 Alabama observance is on the exact date, 200 years ago, that General Lafayette and his entourage came to that Alabama town. Details on each observance are in the links below:
March 30, 2025 @ 2:00 pm–March 31, 2025 @ 4:00 pm
Bicentennial of Lafayette's Tour Visits Fort Mitchell, AL
Fort Mitchell. 561 AL-165, Fort Mitchell, AL, United States
April 2, 2025 @ 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour Visits Montgomery, AL
April 3, 2025 @ 10:30 am–12:00 pm
Ceremony in the Alabama State Capitol
April 4, 2025 @ 9:00 am–3:00 pm
Lafayette Day at Old Alabama Town
April 4, 2025 @ 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Reception at Alabama Department of Archives & History
April 5, 2025 @ 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Old Cahawba Archeological Park9518 Cahaba Road, Orrville, AL, United States
April 6, 2025 @ 1:30 pm–4:00 pm
Bicentennial of Lafayette's Tour Visits Claiborne, AL
The Masonic Lodge42 Co Rd 1, Perdue Hill, AL, United States
The final Lafayette event in Alabama will be in downtown Mobile's Fort Conde. The free event includes a reenactment of Lafayette and his troops as they visited Port City on April 7, 1825, at noon. 150 S. Royal Street.
Mobile, one of the oldest of America's cities, had already been a city for 123 years when LaFayette's tour came to town. It was already "old Mobile."
General Lafayette's formal name was Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.
A city in east Alabama's Chambers County is named for Lafayette. It is locally pronounced "luh FAY' et."
Lafayette was a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette was later permitted to command Continental Army troops in the decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War's final major battle that secured American independence.
After returning to France, Lafayette became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and continues to be celebrated as a hero in both France and the United States.
March 30 through April 7 will be living history in Alabama.
"When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensable of duties." — Marquis de Lafayette
"Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a Country." — Lafayette
Jim' Zig' Zeigler writes about Alabama's people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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