The
history of the American Revolution is dominated by one man, George
Washington. Unlike any other period of time, this one man
captures almost the entire spotlight within our history books.
But I am certain Washington himself would humbly pass credit for this
grand achievement to those many lesser known soldiers who performed
unbelievable acts of military brilliance against terrific odds.
People like Daniel Morgan who routed Banastre Tarleton’s dragoons at
the Battle of the Cowpens, or Henry Knox who somehow convinced men and
oxen to literally drag over 50 heavy cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in
New York through knee deep snow and force the British to abandon
Boston. It was these more anonymous heroes, like Nathaniel Green,
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and John Glover, who did the dirty work
needed to defeat the world’s largest superpower.
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Another of those men was a young, barely twenty year old, French
aristocrat named Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier,
Marquis de Lafayette. He was extremely wealthy and at the highest
end of the nobility order in France. He was also orphaned at the
age of twelve and at fourteen he joined the military.
Lafayette soon learned of America’s Declaration of Independence and its
struggle against the British Empire. With liberty and glory in
his heart, Lafayette made his way to the colonies to volunteer for the
Continental Army. Congress commissioned him a Major General and
he quickly became one of, if not Washington’s closest and most beloved
subordinates. Many historians go so far as to call Lafayette the
son George Washington never had.
But Lafayette did turn out to be very deserving of his rank as a Major
General. One small example took place just a few miles North West
of Philadelphia, in a town now called Barren Hill, where the Marquis
was ordered to collect intelligence on the British stationed in the
former colonial capitol. The British would have liked nothing
better than to capture a son of their biggest and most bitter
geopolitical rivals, and so they moved a superior force quickly towards
Lafayette’s position. Soon the Americans were nearly surrounded,
but Lafayette was up to the task. He pulled off the kind of
escape that Washington himself became so famous for and the Americans
slipped away to fight another day. It was a master stroke of
military maneuvering.
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David
Mc Bride

THE
MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE
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Chris Poh
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David Mc Bride
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THE MAIN BAR
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ANOTHER, MORE INTIMATE BAR
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What
was then called Barren Hill is now a Philadelphia suburb with the
terrifically tributary name of Lafayette Hill. But the
name
change is not the only fitting salutation to this great Frenchmen who
devoted himself to the American cause. An inn that likely housed
some of Lafayette’s aides and probably welcomed the Marquis himself on
a few occasions also now pays tribute to the man who led America’s
freedom fighters out of Barren Hill. It is a brilliant Bed and
Breakfast, and brewpub called"THE GENERAL LAFAYETTE INN AND BREWERY." |
Chris
Poh
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Chris
Poh
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DRAMATIC
MAIN DINING ROOM
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GENDER
POLITICS ARE THE SAME AS THEY EVER WERE
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Visitors
to this beautiful colonial inn are immediately taken in by its
history and charm. The low ceilings and wonderful
trimmings make the visitor feel almost like they’ve stepped back in
time. The walls are filled with reminders of the Marquis de
Lafayette and the even lesser known Native Americans who fought
alongside him. If you can, take some time to walk around the
tavern and restaurant area so you can take in some of the
collection. For the history buff, the General Lafayette Inn is a
jewel.
For the beer aficionado, the Lafayette should be on your list of
must-see places. They offer a nice selection of house brews that
hits a wide range of tastes. Brewer Russ Czajka has done some
brilliant work here, and if you’re lucky you may even get a ghost story
out of him.
So if you ever wanted to learn more about the American Revolution take
some time and acquaint yourself with those who you may not know all
that much about. A great starting point can be found in the
northern suburbs of Philadelphia where you can walk in the path of a
young Frenchman who devoted his life to liberty. The General
Lafayette Inn will surely be worth the trip. |
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David Mc Bride
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BREW AND MASH
KETTLES IN THE BREWERY
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FERMENTERS
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THE BOARD
OF BREWERY OFFERINGS
THE GENERAL LAFAYETTE INN AND
BREWERY
646
GERMANTOWN PIKE
LAFAYETTE HILL,
PENNSYLVANIA 19444
(610) 941-0600
www.generallafayetteinn.com
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Thanks to Sue
Chastain http://graphicsoft.about.com/ for the Fleur De Lis
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