Leach Library to Host “Lafayette in America”

On Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m., the Leach Library will host the program “Lafayette in America” presented by Alan R. Hoffman. This informative presentation will transport listeners to early nineteenth century America for a closer look at Revolutionary War General Lafayette.

Presenter Alan R. Hoffman is a Londonderry resident who practices law in Boston. He holds a B.A. degree in history from Yale University and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. His long-held passion for American history led him to begin translating the journals of Lafayette’s private secretary, Auguste Levasseur, as a hobby. After three years of work, Mr. Hoffman published the translation, Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825, to noted praise, including bestselling author David McCullough’s statement “Alan R. Hoffman has made a very great contribution with his translation of Levasseur’s Journal.” He now travels throughout the region giving talks on Lafayette, and is a member of both the American Friends of Lafayette and the Massachusetts Lafayette Society.

Drawing from the information contained in Auguste Levasseur’s journal, Mr. Hoffman will trace Lafayette's steps as he traveled through America just fifty years after the Revolution, including stops in Londonderry and nearby towns. He will discuss Lafayette’s affectionate relationships with the Founding Fathers, as well as his enlightened views on slavery and the plight of Native Americans. Join us for a new perspective on our nation’s past through the experiences of an often-overlooked yet fascinating historical character. Copies of Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825 will be available for purchase after the program.

The program is free and open to the public and will be held in the library’s lower-level meeting room. Light refreshments will be served.