Lafayette College Founding
Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
At White's Hotel near here, on Dec. 27, 1824, local citizens gathered to found Lafayette College. One of their leaders, James Madison Porter, had recently met Lafayette during the French general's well-received American tour of 1824-25, that revived widespread patriotic sentiments about American independence. The College is one of the principal US memorials to this statesman and military leader instrumental in our nation's birth.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On December 27, 1824, citizens of Easton gathered at White's Hotel to found a new college, naming it for the Marquis de Lafayette. The timing was no accident: the aging French general was then in the midst of his triumphant 1824–25 tour of the United States, a journey that rekindled patriotic memories of the Revolution he had helped win. Local leader James Madison Porter, who had recently met Lafayette, helped rally support for the school that became one of the nation's foremost tributes to the statesman.
Why it matters
Lafayette College stands as a lasting American memorial to the French hero of the Revolution, born from the wave of national gratitude his farewell tour inspired a half-century after independence.
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Related people
- · Marquis de Lafayette
- · James Madison Porter
Related events
- · Lafayette's tour of the United States, 1824-25
- · Founding of Lafayette College
Themes & tags
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