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Annapolis, Maryland — This month Annapolis celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of America in 1824 – 1825. Invited as a “Guest of the Nation” by President James Monroe, Lafayette was welcomed with much enthusiasm and celebration by Americans in all 24 states in the Union. As the last surviving general of the American Revolution, Lafayette inspired a patriotic retrospective for Americans in the post-Revolutionary War period.
In December of 1824, after a 40-year absence, Lafayette made one last trip to Annapolis accompanied by his son, George Washington Lafayette. As part of his 13-month farewell “Grand Tour” of the United States, he spent four days in Annapolis in December 1824, allowing a new generation of townspeople a glimpse of one of the nation’s most revered heroes. Festivities included a military procession and exhibition, an official reception in the State House, and a dinner and ball at St. John’s College. This week, organizations around the city will host events to celebrate the 200th anniversary of that visit by America’s favorite fighting Frenchman.
Historic Annapolis is pleased to host two special events at the Museum of Historic Annapolis at 99 Main Street:
Friday, December 13 – Sunday, December 15
Pop-up Exhibit at the Museum of Historic Annapolis: The Marquis de Lafayette, 11 am – 3 pm
Saturday, December 14
Meet James Lafayette at the Museum of Historic Annapolis, 11 am – 3 pm
Storytime at the Museum: A Spy Called James (The True Story of James Lafayette) at the Museum of Historic Annapolis, 11 am and 1 pm
For a list of weekend events throughout Annapolis, visit https://www.annapolis.org/lafayette.