Book Smart

Lafayette: The Boy General, part of the American Founders series (Parallel Press, December 2006)

By John P. Kaminski, director of the Center for the Study of the American Constitution

So far, Kaminski has written three 100-page chapbooks on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Next: the Marquis de Lafayette.

But wait! Lafayette was a Frenchman, and a wealthy, well-connected one at that. What is he doing in a series about the founding of America?

“He fell in love with the concept of a young, free America. He came to the United States at the age of 19 and was given the honorary rank of major general. Through hard work, courage and persistence he obtained a command and became one of Washington’s most trusted generals. In fact, Lafayette was the son Washington never had, and Washington was the father Lafayette always wanted. Lafayette led all the American forces in Virginia six months prior to the Battle of Yorktown. He helped to position British Gen. Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula and stood in the way of the British troops escaping to North Carolina. Without making Cornwallis vulnerable, the joint Franco-American forces would not have had the opportunity to prevail,” Kaminski says.

He adds that the well-connected Lafayette also proved invaluable as an advocate in royal courts across Europe on behalf of the fledgling nation.

“He played a crucial role in lobbying for America in France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany,” Kaminski says. “Through his efforts at these courts, alliances and commercial ties were forged and strengthened.”

Lafayette continued his support after the Revolution, working closely with Jefferson to smooth his skids when Jefferson was the new country’s minister to France.

“In turn, Jefferson worked secretly with Lafayette during the early stages of France’s own revolution, assisting with the writing of a Declaration of Rights,” Kaminski says. However, the forces involved in the French Revolution proved too much for Lafayette to handle, and he was forced to flee his country. Kaminski says that Lafayette suffered capture and imprisonment by the Germans and Austrians. Napoleon Bonaparte was able to obtain Lafayette’s release in 1797, but he did not visit the public arena again until 1818, when he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies. He died in 1834.

Kaminski says that the anecdotal style he is using for all the chapbooks will make them a boon to both K-12 students and teachers.

“The chapbooks are the ideal size — they generally can be read in two to four hours. They’re interesting, and students will have no difficulty with the writing level and the way concepts are developed,” he says. Next on his chapbook to-do list is Abigail Adams, whom he also admires greatly. “She did what many women of the Revolution did — extraordinary things — but she went further, serving as her husband’s most influential counselor. Just look at where she lived: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, London, Paris, the Hague, Amsterdam. I would love to interview her personally!” Kaminski says.