Lafayette, or La Fayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834, French general and political leader. He was born of a distinguished family and early entered the army. Enthusiastic over the news of the American Revolution, he evaded all obstacles set in his way by the officially neutral French government and left France to join George Washington's army. He arrived (1777) in Philadelphia, where Congress appointed him a major general. He quickly won the close friendship of Washington, was wounded at Brandywine, shared the hardships of Valley Forge, and obtained a divisional command. After a trip to France (1779-80), where he negotiated for French aid, he distinguished himself in the Yorktown campaign. Returning to France in 1782, Lafayette was a member of the Assembly of Notables (1787) and the States-General (1789). Elected vice president of the National Assembly, he was made commander of the militia (later named the National Guard) the day after the fall of the Bastille (July, 1789). In this key position he sought to exploit his immense popularity and to maintain order by acting as moderator between the contending factions. However, he did not have the confidence of the court, and he lost all influence and popularity when he gave the order to fire into a crowd that had gathered (July 17, 1791) on the Champs de Mars to draft a petition for dethronement of the king. He took command (1792) of the army of the center, formed in preparation for war against Austria. After a brief visit to Paris (June, 1792), when he attempted to defend the monarchy, he returned to the front. He was, however, relieved of his command and ordered to return to Paris. Lafayette left his army, fled (Aug., 1792) across the border, and was captured and imprisoned in Austria. Finally liberated (1797) by Napoleon, he returned (1799) to France, where he lived in retirement during the First Empire. As member of the chamber of deputies in the Restoration, he joined the liberal party. In 1824-25 he visited the United States, where he was given an unparalleled welcome. Lafayette took part in the July Revolution (1830) as a leader of the moderates. His prestige was largely responsible for the installation of Louis Philippe as king of the French. Lafayette's unswerving courage, integrity, and idealism made him a popular symbol of the bond between France and the United States. His direct descendants, the Chambrun family, are honorary U.S. citizens. The modern French flag was created by Lafayette in July, 1789, by combining the royal white with the blue and red of Paris. For selected writings, see Stanley J. Izderda et al., Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution (4 vol., 1977-81).

Lafayette. 1 City (1990 pop. 23,501), Contra Costa co., NW Calif., a residential suburb in the San Francisco-Oakland area; settled 1848, inc. 1968. The city is a horse raising and agricultural trading center, especially for walnuts; there is also light manufacturing.

2 City (1990 pop. 43,764), seat of Tippecanoe co., W central Ind., on the Wabash River; inc. 1853. A manufacturing city in a grain, livestock, and dairy area, it has food processing and automobile assembly plants. Other products include building materials; electrical, transportation, and heating equipment; metal, paper, and rubber products; wire; chemicals; animal feeds; and pharmaceuticals. The nearby site of the battle of Tippecanoe (Nov., 1811) is a state memorial. Of interest is the rebuilt blockhouse of Fort Ouiatenon (1717).

3 City (1990 pop. 94,440), seat of Lafayette parish, S central La., on the Vermilion River (which is linked to the Intracoastal Waterway); settled 1770s by exiled Acadians, inc. 1836. Known as the hub of Cajun Country (see Acadia), it is a commercial, shipping, and medical center for an area producing sugarcane, rice, cotton, dairy cattle, livestock, and petroleum. Manufactures include apparel, jewelry, and building materials. The area's oil and natural gas boom contributed to a large population increase and an influx of new businesses to the city in the 1980s and 90s. The Heymann Oil Center is headquarters for several oil companies. Of interest are St. John's Cathedral (1916), a Carmelite monastery, a planetarium, natural history and children's museums, and the Cajun Dome stadium. The Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette is there, and the city is the scene of an annual Mardi Gras and the Festival Acadiens. Evangeline Downs racetrack and casino and the Cypress Island Preserve are nearby.

(born Feb. 2, 1923, Atlanta, Ga., U.S.—died Jan. 19, 1997, Columbia, S.C.) U.S. poet, novelist, and critic. Dickey served as a pilot in World War II. His poetry—published in such volumes as Into the Stone (1960), Drowning with Others (1962), Helmets (1964), Buckdancer's Choice (1965), and The Zodiac (1976)—combines themes of nature mysticism, religion, and history. He became widely known with his powerful novel Deliverance (1970; film, 1972).

Learn more about Dickey, James (Lafayette) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Feb. 2, 1923, Atlanta, Ga., U.S.—died Jan. 19, 1997, Columbia, S.C.) U.S. poet, novelist, and critic. Dickey served as a pilot in World War II. His poetry—published in such volumes as Into the Stone (1960), Drowning with Others (1962), Helmets (1964), Buckdancer's Choice (1965), and The Zodiac (1976)—combines themes of nature mysticism, religion, and history. He became widely known with his powerful novel Deliverance (1970; film, 1972).

Learn more about Dickey, James (Lafayette) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Lafayette, LaFayette, or La Fayette may refer to:

People

• General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette ("initially Marquis de Lafayette until June 1790 when he abolished and permanently renounced his noble title"), French general and revolutionary
• Marie-Madeleine Pioche de la Vergne, comtesse de la Fayette ("Madame de Lafayette"), French author
• James Lafayette was the pseudonym of James Stack Lauder, a Victorian society and royal photographer.
• L. Ron Hubbard (full name Lafayette Ronald Hubbard) founder of the Church of Scientology, as well as author of Dianetics and the body of works comprising Scientology doctrine.
• “The Great Lafayette”, the stage name of illusionist Sigmund Neuberger

United States geography

• Elliston-Lafayette, Virginia
• La Fayette, Alabama
• La Fayette, Illinois
• LaFayette, Georgia
• LaFayette, Kentucky
• LaFayette, New York
• Lafayette, California
• Lafayette Square, Los Angeles, California
• Lafayette, Colorado
• Lafayette, Indiana
• Lafayette, Louisiana (The largest Lafayette in the United States)
• Lafayette, Minnesota
• Lafayette, Ohio
• Lafayette, Oregon
• Lafayette, Tennessee
• Lafayette, Wisconsin
• Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania
• Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
• Lake Lafayette, Missouri
• Mount Lafayette, in New Hampshire
• West Lafayette, Indiana
• West Lafayette, Ohio

United States education

• Lafayette College, independent, undergraduate, coeducational, residential institution
• Lafayette High School (Buffalo), the oldest public school in Buffalo that remains in its original building
• Lafayette High School (Lexington, Kentucky), public high school located in Lexington, Kentucky
• Lafayette High School (Louisiana), high school located in Lafayette, Louisiana
• Lafayette High School (New York City), large secondary school located in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York
• Lafayette High School (Red Lake Falls, Minnesota), high school located in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota.
• Lafayette High School (Wildwood, Missouri), Rockwood School District secondary school in Wildwood, Missouri
• Lafayette High School (Williamsburg, Virginia), public secondary school in James City County, Virginia
• University of Louisiana at Lafayette, undergraduate and graduate, residential institution

Military

• La Fayette (R96), 11,000-ton Independence-class aircraft carrier (formerly USS Langley)
• La Fayette (F710), French stealth frigate, lead ship of
• La Fayette-class frigate, a class of French frigates
• USS Lafayette (SSBN-616), a US submarine, lead ship of
• Lafayette-class submarine, a class of US submarine
• Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron of the French Air Service, during World War I composed largely of American pilots

Other

• La Fayette (film), also known as Lafayette, a 1961 French/Italian coproduction directed by Jean Dréville, with Orson Welles and Pascale Audret
• Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, Starfleet officer and the main character of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Galeries Lafayette, a French department store
• LaFayette Motors, United States automobile producer from the 1910s to the 1940s
• Lafayette Radio, an electronics retail chain that closed in 1981
• Lafayette Roughnecks, a now-defunct 2001 af2 expansion team
• Lafayette Afro Rock Band, famous French/American funk orchestrer
• Lafayette Blues, a song by The White Stripes.
• Lafayette transmitter, a former transmitter for transatlantic services near Bordeaux, France
• Lafayette (band), an instrumental post-rock band based in Denver, Colorado
• Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, creator of Scientology.

See also

• Fayette
• Fayetteville