A symposium and Open VISIONS Forum will focus on the life, ideas, and actions of the French visionary leader Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), to mark and celebrate the 200th anniversary of the influential statesman's final visit to America in 1824.
Fairfield University and the American Friends of Lafayette will proudly present The Lafayette National Symposium: “Lafayette and the Enduring Struggle for Human Rights and Democratic Governments," on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Barone Campus Center's Dogwood Room. This event is free and open to the public; register to attend at quickcenter.com.
The daylong symposium will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette's historic farewell tour of America in 1824-25, highlighting his profound impact on human rights and democratic ideals. Invited by President James Monroe, Lafayette traveled across the nation he had helped to establish, visiting all 24 states. He received a hero's welcome and was celebrated as a surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War.
The Lafayette National Symposium is a part of hundreds of events planned in conjunction with The American Friends of Lafayette’s upcoming 13-month bicentennial celebration of Major General Lafayette’s triumphant return tour to America. Kicking off in August, events planned will trace Lafayette’s footsteps on the exact dates and in the order he followed his tour of America as a “Guest of the Nation.”
Among the Fairfield University symposium's distinguished lineup of experts will be New York Times bestselling author and podcaster Mike Duncan, recognized for his influential history podcast "Revolutions." Duncan will join Lafayette scholars to examine the Frenchman’s impact across Europe and the Americas: Lloyd Kramer, PhD, history professor emeritus at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Robert Rhodes Crout, PhD, affiliate professor, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Charleston; Paul S. Spalding, PhD, religion professor emeritus, Illinois College; Alan Hoffman, JD, president of the American Friends of Lafayette; John Stauffer, PhD, professor of American Studies and African American Studies, Harvard; and Diane Shaw, director emerita of Special Collections & College Archives at Lafayette College.
Historian and reenactor Mark Schneider will be performing a live improvisation along with student cast members from the University's Theatre Fairfield program.
Held in partnership with Fairfield University's Office of the President, Art and Minds Initiative, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, and the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of History, Department of Politics, and American Studies program — The Lafayette National Symposium will feature engaging discussions on Lafayette's advocacy for human rights and his efforts to promote democratic institutions during a pivotal era in American history. Reflecting on Lafayette's efforts to unite a young nation amidst growing discord, discussions will explore lessons applicable to contemporary challenges in democracy and human rights.
"This symposium aims to connect Lafayette's legacy with today's critical issues," said Philip Eliasoph, PhD, professor of art history and visual culture and special assistant to the president for arts and culture. "Lafayette's enduring commitment to liberty and equality resonates deeply in our current social and political landscape."
Lafayette’s triumphal farewell tour of 1824-25 celebrated the national achievements of the early American republic, but he visited the United States during an election year in which intensely polarized political opponents struggled for control over the still-fragile institutions of their young democracy. Although Americans were united in praising Lafayette as the last surviving major general from the Continental Army, they strongly disagreed about the historical meaning of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the spread of slavery, and the economic policies of the national government.
Lafayette carefully addressed such issues at enormous public celebrations in every American state, but these unifying public events could not stop or reverse the deepening political polarization and sectional divergence that would soon lead to a bitter Civil War.
What can we learn from the ideas, conflicts, and failures of Lafayette’s political struggles? How does his lifelong advocacy for human rights and his quest for institutions that could protect these rights speak to our own time? These are questions that this symposium will explore, by linking Lafayette’s famous tour to the polarizing conflicts that divide Americans in 2024.
In addition to Fairfield University, The American Friends of Lafayette, and the Fairfield Museum and History Center, symposium sponsors include the Daughters of the American Revolution, Burr Chapter, Pequot Library, Moffly Media, and the Delamar.
For more information about The Lafayette National Symposium and to register, visit quickcenter.com.
Questions? Contact the Quick Center for the Arts Box Office at 203-254-4010 or visit Quickcenter.com. This event is part of the Open VISIONS Forum at Fairfield University, which provides a platform for critical discussions on contemporary issues, drawing insights from history, culture, and the arts to foster understanding and engagement within the community.
