Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution

Mike Duncan presents the life of the Marquis de Lafayette across more than fifty years during the Age of Revolution. Lafayette fought on both sides of the Atlantic as a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist. As a teenager, Lafayette left France to join the American Revolution. He returned home as a national hero and participated in launching the French Revolution, though he was imprisoned in dungeons for five years. After his release, he opposed Napoleon, participated in an underground conspiracy against King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. In his later years, he played a key role in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty during the Revolution of 1830. Throughout his life, from youth to old age and through periods of both triumph and hardship, Lafayette remained committed to fighting for human rights.