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The nineteen-year-old Marquis de Lafayette arranged his commission as a major ge
1776 Event

December 7

Lafayette Arranges to Join the American Army: France's Youngest General

The nineteen-year-old Marquis de Lafayette arranged his commission as a major general in the Continental Army, volunteering to serve without pay. His military skills and aristocratic connections proved invaluable in securing French financial and military support that would prove decisive at Yorktown five years later.

December 7, 1776

250 years ago

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