( A BRIEF HISTORY: THE MARQUS DE LAFAYETTE )
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch-Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, known formally as the Marquis de Lafayette, was born on September 6, 1757 in Chavaniac-Lafayette, France. His parents were Michel Louis Christophe Roch-Gilbert Paulette du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette ( father ) and Marie Louise Jolie de La Rivière ( mother ). His father died when Gilbert ( as he was referred to by friends ) was only two years old, on August 1, 1759. After that, his mother left for Paris and left Gilbert with his maternal grandmother to be raised. When he was eleven years old, he moved to Paris by request of his mother to live with her. He was soon enrolled to be a military officer and study at the University of Paris. In April of 1770, Lafayette was orphaned, gaining an income of 25,000 livres. Upon the death of a paternal uncle, his income skyrocketed to 120,000 livres. At the age of fourteen, he was given the rank of sous-lieutenant in the Musketeers, and met his future wife Marie Adrienne Françoise de Noailles, who was twelve at the time. They were not arranged to be wed for two years upon Adrienne's mother's wishes, and instead met and conversed until the fell in love. Gilbert married Adrienne on April 14, 1774, when she was fourteen and he was sixteen. After their marriage, Gilbert's mother-in-law would not allow for them to consummate the marriage for quite some time. While his sentiments for the American Revolution grew steadily over the next few years, his first daughter, and the only one to die before adulthood, Henriette, was born in December of 1775. Lafayette departed to fight in the American Revolution in 1777, and received his first wound in the Battle of Brandywine, his first battle. Within that year, his second daughter, Anastasie, was born, and in 1778, through the midst of his battles, his first daughter, Henriette, died in France. He returned to his country in February of 1779, attempting to secure more troops. His first and only son, Georges Washington, was born in December of 1779, and Lafayette returned to American on April 27, 1780. After the American Revolution ended in 1783, he returned to France and took part in the brewing French Revolution. Lafayette was a part of the National Assembly, and even drafted the Declaration of Rights and Man. He was chosen as the commander-in-chief of the National Guard, and remained popular until the Flight to Varennes and the Champs de Mars massacre in 1791. A warrant for his arrest was placed upon him in 1792, and he fled to Austria in hopes of traveling to America. Held as a prisoner in Olmütz from 1794 until his release in 1797, Americans attempted to send for his freedom. Thomas Jefferson found a way to pay him for his duities as major general during the American Revolution, and Angelica Schuyler Church, set up a ( unfortunately failed ) escape attempt. Lafayette was joined by Adrienne and his two living daughters, Anastasie and Virginie, in 1795 after being recaptured and placed into solitary confinement, where they stayed until their release.
On Christmas Day, 1807, Adrienne was announced dead, most likely due to lead poisoning from the prison water. Lafayette, through his depression, toured the United States in the 1820s, and became a strong supporter of the June Rebellion.
After fainting at a funeral on January 3, 1834 due to pneumonia, Lafayette slowly recovered until he was caught in a thunderstorm in May of the same year. He was announced dead on May 20, 1834.
The Marquis de Lafayette is buried beside his wife, Adrienne, in Picpus Cemetery.