Resource person: Audra Bullard - office@clehighlands.com

Description:

The Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) became the most popular foreigner in the American Revolution, but he became even more famous during a triumphal return visit to every American state in 1824-25. This program will examine Lafayette’s lifelong actions and ideas as well as the reasons for the vast, nationalist celebration of Lafayette during his nineteenth-century tour. We’ll discuss his contributions to early American nationalism and his current significance for the thousands of Americans who are now commemorating the bicentennial of his tour in the cities to which he returned as “The Hero of Two Worlds.” Why do Americans find this steadfast, French defender of human rights and democratic institutions to be a stillrelevant historical symbol in 2025, and why are so many American towns called Fayetteville or Lafayette?

Lloyd Kramer is a Professor Emeritus of History and a former chair of the History Department at UNC, Chapel Hill, where he also served for ten years as the Director of Carolina Public Humanities. His research and teaching have focused on modern France and the wider Atlantic world, and his most recent book, Traveling to Unknown Places: Nineteenth-Century Journeys Toward French and American Selfhood, was published in 2024 by the UNC Press. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University and is coauthor of A History of Europe in the Modern World, which is now in its 12th edition.

Notes: Cancellation Policy Please let us know immediately if you are unable to attend a class. There is no refund for cancellations within two (2) weeks prior to a scheduled class. Programs that include food, beverage or art materials must be canceled within three (3) weeks prior to receive a refund. CLE reserves the right to cancel a program if the minimum enrollment has not been met or for circumstances beyond our control, and participants will be notified, a complete refund will be issued. All classes are held in the CLE Lecture Hall at the Peggy Crosby Center unless otherwise noted. In the event information has changed from the published brochure, it will be posted on our website and in our e-blasts. Addresses for “private home” venues will be provided to registrants within 2 days of the program date.

Share this activity: