Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
- ISBN-10
- 1594631743
- ISBN-13
- 9781594631740
- Category
- Biography
- Pages
- 274
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2015
- Author
- Sarah Vowell
Description
From the bestselling author of Assassination Vacation and Unfamiliar Fishes, a humorous and insightful account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette--the one Frenchman we could all agree on--and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality. On August 16, 1824, an elderly French gentlemen sailed into New York Harbor and giddy Americans were there to welcome him. Or, rather, to welcome him back. It had been thirty years since the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette had last set foot in the United States, and he was so beloved that 80,000 people showed up to cheer for him. The entire population of New York at the time was 120,000. Lafayette's arrival in 1824 coincided with one of the most contentious presidential elections in American history, Congress had just fought its first epic battle over slavery, and the threat of a Civil War loomed. But Lafayette, belonging to neither North nor South, to no political party or faction, was a walking, talking reminder of the sacrifices and bravery of the revolutionary generation and what they wanted this country to be. His return was not just a reunion with his beloved Americans, it was a reunion for Americans with their own astonishing singular past. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States is a humorous and insightful portrait of the famed Frenchman, the impact he had on our young country, and his ongoing relationship with some of the instrumental Americans of the time, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and many more.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
The Biography Book: A Reader's Guide to Nonfiction, Fictional, and Film Biographies of More Than 500 of the Most Fascinating...
By Daniel S. Burt... for the general reader . nology uphold Rooseveldt's New Deal legislation . ... Louis D. Todd , A.L. Justice on Trial : The Case of Louis D. Bertolt ...
-
People in History: N-Z
By Susan K. Kinnell... Michael Edward 3394 Bell , Millicent 3488 3489 Bell , Robert H. 2331 Bell , Susan N. 3684 Bell , Virginia 5284 Bell , Whitfield J. , Jr. 979 3195 3919 Bell , William Gardner 3500 Bellamy , Donnie D. 6899 Bellamy , Marjory 473 Belman ...
-
The Risks of Knowledge: Investigations Into the Death of the Hon. Minister John Robert Ouko in Kenya, 1990
By David William Cohen, E. S. Atieno OdhiamboMinister John Robert Ouko in Kenya, 1990 David William Cohen, E. S. Atieno Odhiambo. ed., Democracy and Difference: Contesting the Boundaries ... Ogot, Bethwell A., and William R. Ochieng, eds. Decolonization and Independence in Kenya.
-
Her Way: A Guide to Biographies of Women for Young People
By Mary-Ellen SiegelELLEN CRAFT c . 1826 – c.1897 Fugitive slave , abolitionist Light - skinned Ellen Craft and her husband escaped from slavery by travelling north in disguise . Ellen Craft dressed as a man and assumed the role of a deaf and ill white ...
-
Vasco Da Gama and the Sea Route to India
By William H. Goetzmann, Rachel A. Koestler-GrackThis Portuguese navigator's initial voyage to India in 1497-1499 opened up the sea route from Western Europe to the East by way of the Cape of Good Hope.
-
Newsmakers '07: Cumulation
By Laura Avery... W. James 2006 : 3 Mellinger , Frederick Obituary 1990 : 4 Mello , Dawn 1992 : 2 Melman , Richard Brief Entry 1986 ... Les 2004 : 2 Moreno , Arturo 2005 : 2 Morgan , Dodge 1987 : 1 Morita , Akio 1989 : 4 Morita , Akio Obituary 2000 ...
-
The Name's Familiar: Mr. Leotard, Barbie, and Chef Boyardee
By Lee, LauraPaulmier , Madeleine Madeleine Paulmier was a pastry cook in 19th century Comercy , France . She concocted a small shell - shaped cake that we know today as madeleines . Phillips , Charles Henry Charles Henry Phillips moved from England ...
-
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
By Anne M. Todd, Daniel E. HarmonBelt, Don, ed. The World of Islam. National Geographic Society, 2001. Daniel, Elton L. The History of Iran. Greenwood Press, 2001. Gordon, Matthew. Ayatollah Khomeini. Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Greenblatt, Miriam. Iran.
-
Susan B. Anthony: Activist
By Anne ToddA biography of Susan B. Anthony, a women who worked to bring equality to women and African Americans.
-
Who's Who in the Midwest
Office : State Police Dept 714 S Harrison Rd East Lansing MI 48823 DAVIS , JOHN RAYMOND , physical education teacher ; b . Chgo . , Aug. 23 , 1940 ; s . William Meade and Ruby Elvira ( Pearson ) D .; m . Judith Anne Osborn , Aug.