“Marquis de Lafayette Returns: A Tour of America’s National Capital Region” by Elizabeth Reese
Walk in the footsteps of the Marquis de Lafayette as he makes a final trip through the young United States.
Against the backdrop of a tumultuous election, a beloved hero of the American Revolution returned to America for the first time in forty years. From August 1824 to September 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette traveled throughout the United States, welcomed by thousands of admirers at each stop along the way. Although the tour brought him to each state in the Union, the majority of his time was spent in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. Public historian Elizabeth Reese traces Lafayette’s route throughout the National Capital Region, highlighting the locations and people the famous General held closest to his heart.
Ms. Reese has spent over a decade as an interpreter at federal historic sites, including Hamilton Grange National Memorial and the US Capitol. Her work has been published in TIME, American Heritage Magazine, and the New York Times. She has delivered lectures at historic institutions, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon, The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, and the White House Historical Association. Elizabeth was awarded the Scott Hartwig Public History Fellowship at the Civil War Institute in 2015 and the America 250! Commendation Medal in 2024. Elizabeth is currently the Associate Manager of Marketing at Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House. She is currently working towards the completion of her Master of Arts in American History from Gettysburg College where her research is focused on public memory, family ties, and grief.
