Summary
The young Marquis de Lafayette leaves wealth and comfort in France to volunteer for the American cause, becoming one of Washington's most trusted officers and friends. Henri is proud to see a fellow Frenchman risk everything for an idea — liberty — that isn't even his own country's fight.
Viewer safety
No violent content; historical debate and political tension.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Lafayette was only 19 when he joined the American cause. His idealism, and the link he provided to France, made him one of the Revolution's most important allies.
- Why would a wealthy young Frenchman risk his life for another country's revolution?
- What does it mean to believe in an idea strongly enough to fight for it far from home?
- How did foreign volunteers and allies strengthen the American cause?
- Is there a cause you believe in strongly enough to work hard for, even if it didn't benefit you directly?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: volunteer, marquis, idealism, ally, officer.
Try it: Write a short journal entry as Lafayette explaining to his family in France why you are sailing to America to help. Give two reasons that matter to you.