The American Friends of Chartres
joins the Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul
and the American Friends of Lafayette
in celebrating the
250th Anniversary of Franco-American friendship
Free Lecture by Chuck Schwam
LAFAYETTE: A FRENCHMAN WHO HELPED GENERAL WASHINGTON WIN
On the occasion of America’s 250th, learn more about the Marquis de Lafayette and his important role in the American Revolution! Chuck Schwam, the Executive Director of the American Friends of Lafayette, will be joining us online to discuss this Frenchman’s biography. Lafayette is more than a revolutionary war hero, he also promoted human rights, women’s rights and the rights of indigenous people.
Last year, the American Friends of Lafayette commemorated the Bicentennial of General Marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the US, an event that took place in 1824-1825, where Lafayette was invited by President James Monroe to tour the states in order to create a sense of unity during a time of civil unrest.
A key reason for the Bicentennial tour was to highlight the friendship and alliance between France and America that has existed since the beginning. Schwam says, “People don’t realize that next to the US, the ally with the most troops in harm’s way were French. We would have never won the Revolutionary War without France. It never, ever, never would have happened. There were more French military personnel in Yorktown than American. And this is something that we feel is important. We tell people that without France’s involvement we would have never gained our independence.”
Next year, the American Friends of Lafayette will begin their own commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, coiniciding with 250 years since Marquis de Lafayette landed on American soil.
Chuck Schwam is the Executive Director of The American Friends of Lafayette. He was the head of planning for the Bicentennial Farewell tour that took place last year and he previously was the treasurer of the organization. He is highly passionate about history, and of course, the Marquis de Lafayette.
