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As we celebrate Yorktown Day and Lafayette’s Farewell Tour in Williamsburg, we invite you to join us in welcoming Iris de Rode, a Dutch historian and expert on French involvement in the American Revolution, to William & Mary.

Dr. de Rode will present on the fascinating life of the Marquis de Chastellux, the uncle of Lafayette, who served as a major general under General Rochambeau in the French forces during the American Revolution, as well as a prominent philosopher and writer of the French Enlightenment.

Following his vital role in planning and executing the Battle of Yorktown alongside Washington, Lafayette, and Rochambeau, Chastellux spent several months in Williamsburg at the home of Professor George Whyte. During his stay, he personally secured funds to repair the College of William & Mary’s president’s house, which had been damaged by fire while the university was being used as a hospital by French troops. Furthermore, in recognition of his intellectual efforts to promote Franco-American exchanges, Chastellux was awarded an honorary degree from William & Mary, just like his nephew Lafayette.

After returning to France in 1782, Chastellux donated a significant collection of books from Louis XVI to the W&M library, furthering the spread of French knowledge in post-independence America. His contributions laid the foundation for a lasting Franco-American intellectual and cultural exchange that continues to thrive today through the circulation of books, ideas, and people.

Sponsored by: W&M Libraries

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This Event Appears On

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• Democracy Initiative