La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, François-Alexandre-Frédéric, duc de, 1747-1827

Biography

Francois-Alexandre-Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt was born into a distinguished French noble family which had strong ties to King Louis XIV. He was educated as a literary collector, but at the age of sixteen left school to join the army. By age twenty-three he was married, had two living sons, and was colonel of a dragoon regiment. After his father's death he became Grandmaster of the Royal Wardrobe. During the years before the Revolution, Liancourt became an advocate of liberal economic and political reform. He was elected to the Estates General in 1789 where he allied himself with the moderate Girondists. Liancourt identified himself as a liberal monarchist and with the Jacobin ascendancy he was forced to flee to England. In 1794 with England at war with France he decided to go to America. He spent the next three years traveling in the United States. His first trip was from Philadelphia to Western New York and then into Canada. Next he visited New England, and then Virginia and the South Atlantic States. On his way back north he passed through the Tidewater and visited Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. His final trip was through Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Liancourt returned to France in 1797, where he published his journal describing his American travels. The book the VOYAGE which appeared in eight volumes, was published by Pierre S. du Pont in 1799.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: