Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument

Signature of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

Marquis de Lafayette

Lafayette's handwritten autograph signature, used to verify documents bearing his name.

This is Lafayette's own handwritten signature, in the simplified form he used to signal his republican sympathies.

Ask Marquis de Lafayette about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Black ink handwritten signature on white background, a large looping cursive script with a tall upstroke at the top left, reading as the name Lafayette, with a long flourish trailing to the right and a descender below.
Signature of the Marquis de Lafayette.

About this source

What it is

This is the autograph signature of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, reading simply 'Lafayette.'

Why it matters

Lafayette adopted the shortened, democratized form of his name — 'Lafayette' rather than his full noble title — reflecting his identification with republican ideals. His signature appears on many historical documents and letters, and studying it helps historians verify which papers are genuinely his.

Look closer

  • What does the simplified form of his signature suggest about how Lafayette wanted to be seen?
  • Why might comparing signatures help historians judge whether a document is authentic?
  • What else, besides a name, can handwriting reveal about a person?

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

More Marquis de Lafayette sources

Meet the AI Marquis de Lafayette →
Painted allegory of the 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. A title plaque reads 'Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen' above two tablets of text. A seated woman with chains and a standing winged figure with a wand flank the plaque, under a radiant eye in a triangle.Document

Primary source

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

National Constituent Assembly · 1789

Scan of a handwritten two-column manuscript on aged, browned paper. The left column is in English under the heading 'Treaty of Alliance', and the right column is in French under 'Traité d'alliance eventuelle et défensive'. The text opens by naming the Most Christian King and the United States of North America.Document

Primary source

Treaty of Alliance with France

6 February 1778

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

Document

Primary source

Lafayette's Oath of Allegiance

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette · 9 June 1778

Handwritten manuscript page numbered 80, dated April 1788 at top, in cursive ink on ruled paper. Text discusses constitutional ratification, amendments, and a Bill of Rights and trial by jury. Bound volume edge visible on left.Letter

Primary source

Letter from George Washington to Lafayette, 28 April 1788

George Washington · 28 April 1788

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Marquis de Lafayette now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions