Last night I attended the first lecture in the South Carolina Archives and History Foundation's Spring Speaker Series and boy-oh-boy (do people still say that?) was it fantastic! The lecture was titled Lafayette and the Rights of Man and was presented by Mr. William S. Davies. To say that I knew very little about Lafayette going into this lecture was an understatement but I was ready/willing/excited to learn. Introductions were made and the lecture began. I was steadily taking notes but after a little while I realized that I had stopped taking notes and was completely captivated by all this new (to me) information being presented. The lecture lasted a little over an hour but I could have listened to Mr. Davies (such a great speaker) speak about Lafayette for another hour (or more). Lafayette was such an amazing person & it all began when he was a teenager! (I wish I would've had that kind of drive when I was a teenager!!) How did I not know all that Lafayette did for our country? Did you know that almost every single state in the US has something named for Lafayette? Fayetteville (NC), Lafayette Square (D.C.), and many more. AND children have been named after Lafayette! During Lafayette's grand tour of the US (1824-1825), he visited Edisto Island. While at dinner, the host brought his newly born daughter to Lafayette and asked that he do the honor of naming her. Lafayette named her Carolina (after the beautiful state he was in) and Lafayette (after himself for being given the honor of naming this child) Seabrook. Her portrait hangs in the Charleston Museum.
When the lecture ended, I knew that I would now need to learn everything possible about Lafayette! So with that said, any Lafayette book recommendations?
The next lecture in the South Carolina Archives and History Foundation's Spring Speaker Series is The Confederate Secret Service and the speaker will be Colonel Harold Mills. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 20th at 6pm and is $10. I'll see you there!
Happy Travels,
Amber
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