Digital Facsimiles

The French Revolution, 1789-1799

Cartoon depicting heads of key figures in the French Revolution, including Lafayette.

Broadside from the General Assembly of Petit Saint-Antoine entrusting Lafayette with the task of keeping order in Paris. [July 21, 1789] Lafayette had questioned the validity of a previous vote in his favor because it was taken in the midst of extreme civil unrest.

Anti-Lafayette political cartoon.

Letter from Lafayette to William Short from prison. [Coblentz. September 16, 1792]

Document concerning restrictions on the movements of M. de Tessé, M. de Mun and Madame Montagu -- all ámigrés and friends or acquaintances of Lafayette, who himself was in prison at this time. [Frybourg Saxony, 26 July, 1794]

Engraving of the Lafayette family in Austrian prison.
In 1795 his wife and all their children except George joined Layfette in prison.

"Note relative á ma fortune personelle." Lafayette outlines how his considerable fortune was exhausted in the service of the American and French Revolutions. [ca. 1800]