Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette ( 1757 - 1834), often known as Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer. He was a general in the American Revolution, serving under George Washington, and a leader of the Garde nationale during the French Revolution. Because he was so active in the American Revolution, cities and monuments across the United States bear his name. Lafayette is buried in Paris, under soil from Washington's grave at Mount Vernon. As a tribute to his valour, in 1824, President James Monroe invited Lafayette to the United States as...