A True Friend of the Cause: Lafayette and the Antislavery Movement

While Lafayette’s involvement in the American Revolution has been extensively documented, his role as an ardent abolitionist has received little attention. The accompaniment to the first public exhibition devoted to Lafayette’s role as an international antislavery advocate (Grolier Club, 2017), A True Friend of the Cause features rare books, manuscripts, and prints demonstrating that Lafayette’s efforts were part of a broader transnational movement for emancipation that connected France, Great Britain, and the United States. With over 100 items drawn from the collections of Lafayette College, Cornell University, and the New-York Historical Society.