What to Wear: Lafayette's Farewell Tour

Like today, 18th- and 19th-century Americans used clothing for self-expression and dressed for a variety of occasions. Colonial Williamsburg’s historic clothing collection includes many of these garments, often with unique stories.

August 1825 brought a particularly special occasion for Americans like Elizabeth Major, a resident of Culpeper County, Virginia, to dress for. That summer, the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, planned to visit her hometown as part of his ongoing tour of the United States.

Lafayette’s tour provided an opportunity for the making and wearing of new accessories. Elizabeth Major or one of her sisters wore the dress and belt seen here. The belt, printed with the Marquis’s image, is just one example of the wearable memorabilia made for Lafayette’s visit.

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), was a beloved veteran of the American Revolution. Born into a French noble family, he crossed the Atlantic to fight for American independence, becoming a close friend of George Washington.

Lafayette considered the United States his adopted country, but by the 1820s, it had been 40 years since his last visit. Nearing 70 years old, he was eager to revisit the country he praised as a model of a successful revolution.

U.S. President James Monroe saw an opportunity in Lafayette’s visit. Conflict was rising over slavery and American expansion. A contentious presidential election approached. Lafayette provided citizens with a nonpartisan symbol of the republican cause and a moment of national unity.

Just like today, dress was an important part of national celebrations. Wearable textiles were one of the most popular forms of merchandise for the tour. Fashionable accessories, like the belt, kerchief, and ribbons seen here, were often embellished with portraits of Lafayette.

Lafayette made several stops in Virginia. When he visited Williamsburg in October 1824, he was escorted by a parade of militia, gave a public speech, and dined with government and military officials at the Raleigh Tavern. Attendees likely wore printed merchandise to these events.

Culpeper County, home of Elizabeth Major and her sisters, was one of Lafayette’s last Virginia stops in August 1825. Newspapers filled with descriptions of accessories worn to tour events and advertisements for merchandise provided ample inspiration for the sisters’ clothing choices.

One of the Major sisters likely wore this ensemble to the ball and supper that Lafayette attended at the Mason’s Hall in Culpeper. Lafayette Balls held in honor of the Marquis featured music, dancing, and refreshments. They were a popular place to show off printed accessories.

Lafayette himself had a mixed reaction to seeing his image so widely worn. When he encountered one woman wearing gloves printed with his portrait, he “murmured a few graceful words to the effect that he did not care to kiss himself…made a very low bow, and the lady passed on.”

Lafayette returned to France in September 1825. While this moment of national unity in the U.S. wouldn’t last for long, the material impact would. The tour served as a practice ground for makers and consumers to experiment with accessories, production, and marketing.

American political merchandise already existed, but Lafayette’s tour catapulted the industry. After his visit, Americans produced more wearable accessories that held political meaning – like these “Log Cabin” buttons made for William Henry Harrison’s 1840 presidential campaign.

Artifacts like the Major sisters’ dress and belt offer us an opportunity to better understand the history of political and patriotic merchandise, recognize the makers that crafted it, and consider how textiles can shape political culture.