March 20: Lafayette sails for America from Rochefort; arrives Boston April 26
May 10: Lafayette rejoins Washington at Morristown
May 12: Americans surrender Charleston
June 22: Continental Army leaves winter quarters after worst winter of the war
July 10: Ternay and Rochambeau arrive off Newport
July 25–August 3: Lafayette confers with Rochambeau and Ternay at Newport
August 15: Lafayette assumes command of the Light Division
August 16: Battle of Camden; Gates defeated
September 21–22: Washington, Rochambeau, and Ternay confer at Hartford, with Lafayette as interpreter
September 25: Benedict Arnold’s treason discovered
September 29–30: André court-martialed
October 2: André hanged
October 7: Battle of Kings Mountain
October 14: Washington appoints Greene to command the Southern Army
November 26: Washington disbands Lafayette’s Light Division
December 15: Ternay dies
December 30: Benedict Arnold and his detachment arrive at Portsmouth
1781
January 4: Lafayette negotiates with Pennsylvania Line mutineers January 5–7: Arnold occupies Richmond
January 17: Battle of Cowpens
January 20–27: Mutiny of the New Jersey Line
February 20: Washington appoints Lafayette to command Portsmouth Expedition
March 1: Articles of Confederation ratified
March 8: Destouche’s squadron leaves Newport for Chesapeake Bay
March 15: Battle of Guilford Courthouse
March 16: Battle off Cape Henry (First Battle off the Virginia Capes); Destouche returns to Rhode Island
March 30–31: Portsmouth Expedition returns to Head of Elk
April 6: Washington orders Lafayette and his detachment to Virginia
April 21: Lafayette takes command of American troops in Virginia
April 24: British forces under Phillips and Arnold land at City Point; Cornwallis leads his command out of Wilmington to join Phillips
April 25: Lafayette arrives at Fredericksburg; Phillips enters Petersburg, burns warehouses; Greene’s troops repulsed at Hobkirks Hill
April 29: Lafayette’s detachment reaches Richmond ahead of Phillips
April 30: Phillips withdraws down James River
May 1: Greene orders Lafayette to remain in command in Virginia
May 6: Admiral de Barras arrives at Boston
May 9: Spanish capture Pensacola
May 10: British evacuate Camden
May 11: British surrender the fort at Orangeburg, South Carolina
May 12: British surrender Fort Motte, South Carolina
May 13: British troops sail from Staten Island to join Phillips; Phillips dies
May 15: British surrender Fort Granby, South Carolina
May 20: Cornwallis joins Arnold at Petersburg, takes command
May 20–25: Lafayette in camp at Richmond
May 22: Washington and Rochambeau meet at Wethersfield
May 24: Cornwallis leaves Petersburg, hoping to capture “the boy”
June 2: French forces under Admiral de Grasse capture Tobago
June 5: Steuben abandons Point of Fork
June 9–21: French army marches from Newport to join Washington in New York
June 10: Wayne and 1,000 Pennsylvanians join Lafayette
June 11–14: Lafayette maneuvers through the back country to shield Continental stores
June 15–16: Cornwallis occupies Richmond
June 19: Steuben joins Lafayette
June 21: After Charlottesville raid, Cornwallis gives up the chase, begins march to Williamsburg; Lafayette follows
June 25: Cornwallis occupies Williamsburg
June 27–July 4: Lafayette in camp near Williamsburg
July 4: Cornwallis abandons Williamsburg, marches toward Portsmouth
July 6: Skirmish at Green Spring
July 9–24: Tarleton’s Raid
July 21–24: American and French armies demonstrate against New York
August 2: Cornwallis occupies Yorktown and Gloucester, begins fortifying
August 14: Washington learns that de Grasse is sailing for the Chesapeake
August 18: Cornwallis evacuates Portsmouth
August 19: American and French armies begin march to Virginia
September 2: De Grasse’s fleet arrives at Yorktown; French marines placed under Lafayette’s command
September 5: Second Battle off the Virginia Capes
September 10: De Barras’ squadron arrives in the Chesapeake
September 14: Washington and Rochambeau arrive in Williamsburg
September 26: Lafayette visits de Grasse’s flagship
October 3: Skirmish near Gloucester
October 6: Siege of Yorktown begins
October 9: Allied bombardment of Yorktown begins
October 14: Assaults on Redoubts Nos. 9 and 10; second parallel extended to river
October 16: Cornwallis attempts to cross York River, driven back by a storm
October 17: Cornwallis sends white flag to Allied lines
October 19: Cornwallis surrenders
November 4: De Grasse leaves the Chesapeake for the West Indies
November 8–10: Lafayette presides over court-martial of Tory spies
November 23: Congress instructs its ministers to confer with Lafayette
December 5: Lafayette promoted to maréchal de camp
December 23: Lafayette sails for France
1782
January 17: Lafayette lands at Lorient
January 21–22: Lafayette arrives in Paris during celebrations for the birth of dauphin; honored by the queen; pays respects to King Louis XVI
February 12: British surrender St. Kitts to the French
February 25: Vergennes endorses loan of 6 million livres to the United States
March 20: Lord North resigns as prime minister of Great Britain
March 27: Rockingham-Shelburne coalition replaces North’s government
April: British emissary arrives in Paris for peace negotiations
April 12: British Admiral Rodney captures de Grasse at the Battle of the Saints
April 16: Last of the United Provinces recognizes American independence
April 18: Lafayette presents proposals for further French campaigns in America
June 17: British parliament passes Enabling Act
June 24: Lafayette received by Masonic lodge Saint-Jean d’Écosse du Contrat Social
July: Rockingham becomes British prime minister; peace negotiations begin in Paris
September: British lift Spanish siege of Gibraltar
September 7: French emissary leaves for England for secret talks with Shelburne
September 17: Lafayette’s daughter Marie-Antoinette-Virginie born
September 24: British agent in Paris receives revised commission
October: Plans developed for Franco-Spanish expedition against the British West Indies; Lafayette becomes its land troops commander October 24
October 8: Commercial treaty between the United States and the United Provinces
November 30: Britain and the United States sign preliminary articles to peace
December 2: Lafayette joins Franco-Spanish expedition at Brest
December 14: British evacuate Charleston
December 23: Lafayette lands at Cádiz
December 24: Rochambeau’s army sails for West Indies
1783
January 6: Petition from unpaid American soldiers read to Congress
January 20: Britain, France, and Spain sign preliminaries to peace
February 1: Franco-Spanish expedition cancelled
February 5: Lafayette writes Washington asking to be appointed as American representative at treaty ratification in London; proposes joint freed-slave plantation
February 14: Lafayette dispatches first
news of preliminary peace to America
February 15: Lafayette arrives at Madrid
February 22: British House of Commons accepts peace but objects to details
February 24: Shelburne resigns
March: Washington puts to rest the Newburgh Addresses; American tobacco merchants complain to Lafayette about difficulties with the Farmers General
Mid-March: Lafayette returns to Paris, accepts rank of maréchal de camp
March 19: Lafayette begins negotiating trade concessions for the United States
March 23: Lafayette’s word about the preliminary peace reaches Philadelphia
March 29: Lefévre d’Ormesson replaces Joly de Fleury as controller of finances
April 3: Fox-North coalition takes power in Britain
April 10: Congress passes resolution of approval and thanks for Lafayette’s services to the United States in Europe
May 5: Lafayette recommended for the Cross of St. Louis
May 13: Society of the Cincinnati established at Fishkill, New York; Lafayette elected a charter member, later establishes a French chapter
June 28: Arrêt du conseil establishes regular packet service between France and the United States
July 2: British order in council prohibits trade between the United States and the British West Indies
August 22: Spain officially receives the American chargé
September: Peace of Versailles and Peace of Paris
October 29: Congress appoints Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson as commissioners to negotiate treaties with maritime powers of Europe
October 31: Congress receives minister from the United Provinces
November 3: Continental Army disbanded
November 4: Calonne replaces d’Ormesson as controller of finances
November 25: British forces evacuate New York City, board their fleet
December 4: British fleet sails out of New York; Washington bids farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern
December 13: Lafayette gives Calonne observations on American commerce
December 17: Fall of Fox-North coalition in Britain
December 23: Washington resigns as commander in chief; returns to Mount Vernon
1784
January 9: Lafayette informed of four free ports for American merchants in France
February 10: Lafayette approaches Calonne about restrictions on American trade
May 4: First general meeting of the Society of the Cincinnati, in Philadelphia
May 14: Arrêt du conseil proclaims Lorient a free port
May 19: Robert Morris requests Lafayette’s help on further trade concessions
June 28: Lafayette sails for America
August 4: Lafayette arrives in New York City; received by State Assembly in Trenton
August 9: Lafayette arrives in Philadelphia
August 12: Lafayette addresses the American Philosophical Society
August 17–28: Lafayette visits Washington at Mount Vernon; as he leaves to resume his tour, Washington embarks on a trek into the wilderness that will lay the foundation for the Potowmack Company
August 30: Arrêt du conseil further reduces restrictions on American merchants
September 14: Lafayette receives the freedom of New York City
September 23: Lafayette arrives at Albany; decides to go to Fort Schuyler to negotiate with the Indians
September 29: Lafayette and the French chargé arrive at Fort Schuyler
September 30: Lafayette feted by Indians at Oneida Castle
October: Connecticut confers citizenship on Lafayette and his son
October 2: American commissioners arrive at Fort Schuyler
October 3: Lafayette addresses Indians
October 4: The Indians respond to Lafayette, and he departs; treaty negotiations between the Indian nations and American commissioners begin the next day; treaty negotiated October 22
October 7: Lafayette visits Saratoga battlefield
October 15: Lafayette arrives at Boston
October 19: Third anniversary of Yorktown victory; Lafayette honored by Boston merchants and by the Massachusetts State Assembly
October 20: Lafayette receives honorary degree from Harvard University
October 24: Lafayette honored at dinner of Rhode Island chapter of the Cincinnati
November 10: Commercial alliance between France and United Provinces
November 15: Lafayette arrives at Yorktown; goes on to Williamsburg
November 18–28: Lafayette petitions for James Armistead Lafayette’s emancipation; meets Washington in Richmond, spends remaining time with him at Mount Vernon
December 1: Lafayette and Washington tearfully separate for last time
December 6–11: Lafayette visits Congress at Trenton
December 11: Congress praises Lafayette in a letter to Louis XVI; Lafayette takes leave of Congress with an appeal for national unity
December 18: Maryland House of Delegates grants citizenship to Lafayette and to his male heirs in perpetuity
December 20: Governor and other officials bid Lafayette farewell in New York
December 23: Lafayette sails for France
1785
January 20: Lafayette arrives in France
January 24: Lafayette addresses Provincial Estates at Brittany
January 25: First meeting of New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves
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