for God’s Sake, my dear General, take Care of Your Health, don’t devote Yourself So much to the Cabinet, while Your Habit of life Has from Your Young Years, Accostumed You to a constant Exercise. Your preservation is the life of Your friends, the Sallvation of Your Country—it is for You a Relligious duty Not to Neglect Any thing that May Concern Your Health—I beg You will let me oftener Hear from You

The Marquis de La Fayette to George Washington, August 23, 1790

“To George Washington from Lafayette, 23 August 1790,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0146. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 6, 1 July 1790 – 30 November 1790, ed. Mark A. Mastromarino. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1996, pp. 315–319.] (03/26/2024)

Catherine Deneuve at the Paris Opera Gala for the presentation of the film La Fayette. Photo by Pierluigi Praturlon, Paris, 18th March 1962

Pups of liberty was good, but La Fayette as a pup would make it better

Porte-avions français La Fayette (ex-USS Langley, CVL-27) – Toulon – 11 septembre 1951

©U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command – NH 81901

Dans le cadre du Mutual Defense Assistance Act, les Etats-Unis transfèrent le porte-avions à la France le 8 janvier 1951. Il est armé par la Marine Nationale le 2 juin 1951 et est rebaptisé La Fayette (R-97). Il sera restitué aux Etats-Unis le 20 mars 1963.

Portrait practice with Lafayette

Frégate l'Hermione, the ship of La Fayette for his amrev arc, look at her slay

I have sometimes a random Headcanon, that Washington teached his aides or La Fayette to dance and I just can’t get rid of it!

Fan fiction research is fun!

Link to slides.

More on Yorktown.

Slavery, espionage, intel, & Yorktown.

Further reading.

“There is Cromwell” – Chose Your Own Adventure

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely Players – but some plays are more dangerous than others. The French Revolution has been underway for a half a year now and tension is growing high. The people of Paris are angry and ready to take some more drastic measures. As the Marquis de La Fayette you are at the head of Paris’ National Guard and tasked with keeping order. A task that only gets more difficult when the women of Paris take their anger to the streets.

Play as the Marquis de La Fayette during the famous March of the Women on Versailles on October 5 and 6, 1789. Make decisions along the way that could determine your troops loyalty and wellbeing, the safety of the royal family – and your own survival.

Start here.

There will be short snippets about the historical context under most posts. They will be hidden under the cut as not to spoil someone’s experience. :-)

I saw a post the other day that listed a number of facts about La Fayette and while I am more than just a bit skeptical with regards to some of these “facts”, I also hate to correct other people in such a manner. Anyway, there was one remark (well, actually two) that made me think in particular.

First, let us all say it together - La Fayette did not come to America disguised as a woman.

With that out of the way – Slavery. Just like in that post, La Fayette is often praised for his stance against slavery and for raising the topic with prominent slaveholders like Washington and Jefferson. And all that is true. La Fayette was against slavery, he spoke up for enslaved individuals, most notably James Armistead Lafayette, and spoke against the institution of slavery in general. He also let actions follow his words. Now, were all of his actions crowned with success – no. Where his ideas and approaches always the best ways to handle the problem – no. But he took an almost lifelong stance at a time when many people were content with saying nothing or even outright profiting from slavery.

Now, here is a point that brings the complexity and that many of these “have some random facts about La Fayette he was so great” posts not quite capture – and to be fair, that is also not what they are aiming for.

Slavery and the participation in the system were for La Fayette not necessarily deal brakers.

What do I mean by that? La Fayette owned land in Louisiana and was one day approached by John Gravier, who owned land nearby and wanted to buy some of La Fayette’s land. He offered La Fayette to pay either in “real” money or in enslaved people. La Fayette was frankly disgusted by the second proposal – and he wrote so in a letter to James Madison, a slaveholder and someone who, most likely, I am not an expert on Madison, also sold and bought enslaved people and maybe even used them as “barging chips” in some form of financial transaction. La Fayette urged Washington to join him in his plantation project because he was keenly aware of the mojo Washington’s participation could have. Washington refused and La Fayette did not seem to hold too many grudges. Was he disappointed? Probably, even likely – but he still looked up to Washington. I do not want to fire up this puppy-love narrative, but the fact remains, that La Fayette, until the end of his life, remembered Washington very fondly, praised, him, considered him a friend, mentor and even father-figure. He certainly was aware of the problem with Washington being a slaveholder, otherwise La Fayette would not have stirred up the topics that he did – but it was in the end no deal breaker for him. Same thing with people like Jefferson, Monroe or Madison. Jefferson is particular interesting since La Fayette wrote Jefferson many letters where he broached this topic. From the way these letters are phrased I often wonder if a) La Fayette thought Jefferson his friend and as such was determined to tell him everything on his mind, regardless of Jefferson’s own opinion on the matter, b) La Fayette believed Jefferson when the latter wrote that he actually was also against slavery, or c) La Fayette knew that he could write about everything and Jefferson could not protest without retracting his own statements.

Anyway, La Fayette could criticize slavery, quite harshly even, he could call enslavers criminals, he could spend a lot of time and money and effort to take actions and proof to the world that it could be done – but he could also call Washington the “patriarch of liberty”, praise Jefferson and assure both of them of his deep and everlasting affection. It also did not stop him from staying at plantations like Mount Vernon or Monticello. While he always travelled with a number of servants who were in his employ, free, and well paid, it is impossible to stay at a place like Mount Vernon, especially for an extended period of time, and not, in some shape or for, profit from the labour of the enslaved workers there. We do not know what La Fayette thought about that, if it maybe even reinforce his views. We do know that he raised the subject of slavery and abolition when he met Jefferson and Washington in person – but when it came to his friends, it was not a deal breaker for him. He definitly used his friendships to be an influence on Washington, Jefferson and the likes and we can not look into his head to see what his motives or thoughts were in regards to this topic. Human relations are often a web of complex emotions.

I do not want to downplay what he did, but we should also not forget that his engagement was not perfect, he was not perfect – and with that I thank you all for listening to my little rant. :-)

"Having to be that beautiful person, physically, takes effort - it doesn't come naturally."

-Catherine Deneuve

«LA FAYETTE», par Épinard et Fairy Orb (Orby). Détenteur du record français de vitesse du kilomètre en 58″, cet excellent Cheval, gagnant de 250 000 fr. environ, est d’un entraînement difficile en raison de sa nervosité; à M. P. Wertheimer. 

Vie à la Campagne, Vol. 65, 15 Octobre 1930

Hello citoyens 🇨🇵

I'm working on the Frev comic... But, I need your advice: it's better a Webtoon or a Book graphic novel?

I don't know what to dooooo

Please, help your commetteeee 🙏🏻

(You can also find me on my official IG: @melisvstheworld_ )

Thanks to all the citoyens who will help me 🙏🏻🇨🇵

(here is a tiny Robespierre for you)

*texting*

Marie Antoinette: where are you and Gilbert? The movie is almost starting.

Adrienne: WE ARE FUCKING

Adrienne: GETTING POPCORN [not delivered]

Adrienne: IN THE HALLWAY

Marie Antoinette: oh my god.

Expedition across the Atlantic to Boston, fregate l`Hermione 1780, by Alexander Shenderov