IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 681 
Commemorating the service of General Lafayette to the United States on 
the bicentennial of his farewell tour. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 
Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mr. KEATING, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. 
TITUS, and Mr. LATTA) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the service of General Lafayette to the 
United States on the bicentennial of his farewell tour. 
Whereas, at just 19 years old, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch 
Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, the Marquis de Lafay-
ette, volunteered to fight for American independence and 
commissioned and equipped his own expedition to join the 
Continental Army before France formally allied with the 
Colonies; 
Whereas Lafayette was commissioned as a major general in 
the Continental Army, served without compensation, 
earned the trust and friendship of George Washington, 
and was one of the youngest generals in American his-
tory; 
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•HRES 681 IH 
Whereas Lafayette wintered in Valley Forge with George 
Washington and fought with distinction at many key bat-
tles, including Brandywine, where he was wounded yet 
organized a successful retreat, Barren Hill, where he 
demonstrated tactical brilliance and courage; 
Whereas Lafayette used his own fortune to provide money, 
uniforms, and supplies for the Continental Army, thereby 
alleviating shortages and supporting the troops during 
times of dire need; 
Whereas Lafayette returned to France on temporary leave 
during the War and played a pivotal diplomatic role in 
persuading King Louis XVI to send critical troops, ships, 
and financial aid, which turned the tide of the war in 
America’s favor; 
Whereas Lafayette commanded American troops in Virginia, 
harassing British forces and helping to trap Cornwallis at 
Yorktown, directly contributing to the decisive surrender 
at Yorktown on October 19, 1781; 
Whereas his efforts forged a lasting alliance between France 
and the United States, symbolized by the French military 
intervention and financial support that proved crucial to 
American victory, and the friendship that remains strong 
today, as France is the oldest and one of the closest allies 
of the United States; 
Whereas, upon the ratification of the United States Constitu-
tion in 1788, Lafayette was recognized as a natural-born 
citizen of the United States, due to an earlier act by 
Maryland’s legislature that made him and his male heirs 
‘‘natural born citizens’’ of the State; 
Whereas Lafayette championed the ideals of liberty, advo-
cated for the abolition of slavery in America and France, 
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•HRES 681 IH 
and co-authored the Declaration of the Rights of Man 
during the French Revolution; 
Whereas Lafayette was a lifetime abolitionist and an advocate 
for women’s rights, religious tolerance, and freedom of 
the press; 
Whereas Lafayette was invited by Congress and President 
James Monroe to return to America as an official ‘‘Guest 
of the Nation’’, and the ensuing farewell tour cemented 
his status as a beloved national hero; 
Whereas, from August 1824 to September 1825, Lafayette 
traveled over 6,000 miles, visited all 24 States that were 
in the Union at the time, and nearly half of the citizens 
of the United States saw Lafayette during his farewell 
tour; 
Whereas, on December 10, 1824, Lafayette became the first 
foreign dignitary to address the United States Congress; 
Whereas, on September 6, 1825, on Lafayette’s 68th birth-
day, he was hosted by President John Quincy Adams for 
a state dinner at the White House, his last visit to the 
Executive Residence; 
Whereas Lafayette’s unwavering commitment to American 
independence, democracy, and human rights has left an 
indelible mark on the Nation’s identity, earning him en-
during gratitude and the title ‘‘Hero of Two Worlds’’; 
Whereas a portrait of Lafayette, given to the House of Rep-
resentatives, was first displayed in 1825 and now hangs 
in the House Chamber opposite the portrait of George 
Washington; and 
Whereas the American Friends of Lafayette organized the 
Lafayette Farewell Tour Bicentennial from August 
2024–September 2025, a 13-month, 24-State, 350 event 
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•HRES 681 IH 
commemoration to educate all Americans about Lafay-
ette’s contributions to the country’s founding, his lifetime 
passion for human rights, and the importance of the 
Franco-American Alliance: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the invaluable service of Lafay-
ette to the independence and ideals of the United 
States; 
(2) expresses gratitude for Lafayette’s sacrifice 
in fighting during the American Revolution; and 
(3) acknowledges Lafayette on the bicentennial 
of his farewell tour to our Nation. 
Æ 
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