Tavern Talk: Lafayette and Human Rights

Lafayette’s first foray into human rights work was during the American Revolution which he saw as a cause important to all people. He continued to promote universal natural rights throughout his life. During the French Revolution he drafted “the Rights of Man and the Citizen” and later supported other revolutions in Europe and South America as well as causes designed to deliver human rights to the oppressed. In particular, the abolition of slavery engaged Lafayette continuously, from the American Revolution and his return tour of the United States until his death in 1834. Lafayette said: “I would never have drawn my sword in the cause of America, if I could have conceived that thereby I was founding a land of slavery.”

About the Presenter

Alan R. Hoffman obtained his BA in History from Yale College and JD from Harvard Law School. He “discovered” Lafayette in 2002 and spent two years translating Auguste Levasseur’s Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825, the first-hand account of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of America, which was published in 2007. President of the American Friends of Lafayette and the Massachusetts Lafayette Society, Hoffman has lectured in 15 of the 24 states that Lafayette visited on the Farewell Tour.

About American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.