Side A: President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States in 1824. Upon his arrival that August, Lafayette embarked upon a 13-month tour of the nation, visiting all twenty-four states and traveling 6,000 miles. The nobleman was accompanied by his son, George Washington Lafayette, and his private secretary, Auguste Levassuer. Hailed as the “Nation’s Guest,” Lafayette was feted with parades, speeches, dinners, and balls concluding with a banquet at the White House.
Side B: Lafayette, accompanied by Ohio Governor Jeremiah Morrow, called upon his fellow Frenchmen in Gallipolis on May 22, 1825. After a cordial welcome along the shores of the Ohio River, Lafayette remarked: “Gentlemen, it is to me an inexpressible pleasure to visit Gallipolis. I knew [when in France] of the departure of many of my countrymen for this place; and now, to visit them under their own vine and fig tree, is one of the pleasures of my life.” Following his remarks, Lafayette was escorted to the Our House Tavern of Henry Cushing.
Sponsors: Robert W. Lucas and Karen W. Lucas Regional Fund, Friends of Our House, Inc., Ohio History Connection
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