As a courageous teen, Lafayette left France and enlisted in the Continental Army. He service under the command of George Washington and his efforts to secure independence and liberty in America, and in his native France, will forever be remembered.
With the support of Lafayette and the people of France, our capital city is known throughout the world as the cradle of liberty. Boston and Paris share similar values in that we honor peace and the essential freedoms of an open society. The violence and terror that was inflicted on innocent civilians will not dim the city of light – just as Bostonians stood strong after the Marathon bombing so too will Paris find that its friends and allies will stand shoulder to shoulder for liberté, égalité and fraternité.
