On June 13, 1777, the Marquis de Lafayette stepped ashore on North Island in Winyah Bay, just outside Georgetown, South Carolina, determined to join America’s fight for independence. Though still a teenager, he had held a nominal French military commission since age thirteen and defied the king’s orders by purchasing his own ship to cross the Atlantic. Appointed a major general in the Continental Army, Lafayette refused pay and offered to serve entirely at his own expense.
His arrival proved a diplomatic and military windfall. Lafayette fought in six major battles, was wounded at Brandywine, endured Valley Forge, and helped trap British forces at Yorktown. His loyalty to George Washington forged a lasting Franco‑American alliance and secured his place as the Revolution’s most beloved fighting Frenchman.
