Lafayette's visit to the USA

[schnee]

It just occurred to me that next Saturday, it'll be exactly 200 years since Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de la Fayette, better known as Lafayette, at the time one of the last surviving major-generals of the Revolutionary War, embarked on his 16-month grand tour of the United States. Here is what New York's Woodstock Observer wrote to announce his

Comments

[thewayne]

Very interesting! Thank you for posting this, my friend. I had no idea Lafayette's return turned into such a World Tour Extravaganza.

[schnee]

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed reading about it - it's perhaps hard to overestimate just how much he meant, and means, to the USA in its founding years. One of many reasons I'm always quite saddened when certain ignoramuses make fun of France, too. I mean, what did France ever do for the USA? Secure its freedom and gift it the Statue of Liberty, to name but two things, but hey …

But yes, Lafayette's must've been something, like a return of one of the elven kings of old in Tolkien's world, a man from a time when giants walked the Earth - and, indeed, one of those very giants himself, an almost mythical hero, usually named in hushed tones of awe.

[thewayne]

I think the thing that I found quite singularly interesting, as a tidbit, was him laying so many cornerstones! I'd kind of like to see one or more of those. I also found it interesting that Philadelphia refurbished their town hall for the occasion after plans to tear it down, and it's standing today.

Loved your Tolkien analogy! Just today I got my Crickhollow band working at about 95%, the remainder being manageable.