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President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

On Wednesday, July 27, 1825, Lafayette and his entourage departed from West Chester, Pennsylvania, traveling through Gap and Paradise. Their route followed the Philadelphia-to-Lancaster Turnpike, now known as Route 30, and they arrived at Gap around 10:30 a.m., where Amos Slaymaker greeted them warmly. Slaymaker was a Revolutionary War veteran, hotelkeeper, local magistrate, and later a Federalist member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1814–1815). Later that afternoon, Lafayette inspected a military assembly on Groves Field in Paradise. He briefly stopped at Mr. David Witmer's home and was introduced to a crowd of local ladies and gentlemen. The group then continued on, eventually lodging in Lancaster for the night, where Lafayette met Revolutionary War veterans and attended a ball.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War . For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.