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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1824

Portrait of James Armistead Lafayette

John B. Martin · c. 1824

The only known lifetime portrait of James Armistead Lafayette, painted around 1824 showing him as a free, dignified veteran.

This is the only known portrait of James Armistead Lafayette himself, made during his lifetime.

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Stippled engraving of a middle-aged man with short gray hair, wearing a dark high-collared coat with buttons and a white cravat, against a speckled beige background. A small dark spot appears at lower left.
After John B. Martin, portrait of James Armistead Lafayette, c. 1824.

About this source

What it is

This stippled engraving, made after a painting by John B. Martin around 1824, shows James Armistead Lafayette late in life. It is believed to be the only surviving likeness made from life.

Why it matters

By the 1820s James had taken the name Lafayette in honor of the French officer he served, and had gained his freedom. This portrait presents him as a respected elder statesman and veteran, a rare image of a formerly enslaved man of the Revolutionary era shown with such dignity.

Look closer

  • What choices did the artist make in how James is dressed and posed?
  • Why might this be the only known portrait of him?
  • What does the existence of this portrait tell you about how James was regarded later in his life?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Armistead Lafayette on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript pen-and-ink and watercolor map titled 'Siege d'York 1781, Plan d'York en Virginie avec les attaques et les campemens de l'Armée combinée de France et d'Amérique.' Shows York, Virginia, with hachured relief, siege trenches and batteries, encampments, and a small inset map at upper right. A scale bar and a handwritten Nota key appear at lower left.Document

Primary source

Siege of York, 1781: Plan of Franco-American Siege Works

Querenet De La Combe · 1781

Engraving of a man's head and shoulders in a high-collared coat and cravat, above a handwritten manuscript certificate signed by Lafayette dated November 21, 1784, attesting to James's service as a spy.Document

Primary source

Certificate for James Armistead Lafayette

Marquis de Lafayette · 21 November 1784

Hand-drawn manuscript map in pen-and-ink and watercolor titled 'York en Virginie 1781' showing the York River, the town of Yorktown and siege lines, with an inset of Gloucester, French title panel and key on the right.Document

Primary source

York en Virginie, 1781: Map of Franco-American Positions at York

1781

Hand-drawn 1781 manuscript map titled Campagne en Virginie, showing rivers, roads, county names and military camp routes across Virginia from Orange County south to Isle of Wight County, with a Chesapeake-area coastline at right.Document

Primary source

Campaign of the Marquis de Lafayette in Virginia, 1781

Michel Capitaine Du Chesnoy · 1781

Engraved print of the Marquis de Lafayette standing in military uniform, pointing left toward distant troops in battle, with a horse and a Black soldier in a plumed hat at his right. Caption text is below the image.Painting

Primary source

Conclusion de la campagne de 1781 en Virginie (Lafayette and Attendant)

Noël Le Mire, after Jean-Baptiste Le Paon · c. 1781-1785

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