Congo Free State Part 4: Blood and Rubber

As the early stages of the French Revolution unfold on the streets of Paris, Lafayette’s new role as the commander of the National Guard forces him to maintain a delicate balancing act between the preservation of liberty and the restoration of public order. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Kramer, Lloyd S. Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of Revolutions. University of North Carolina Press, 1996. Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier. Memoirs, Correspondence, and Manuscripts of General Lafayette, vols 1-6. Saunders and Otley, 1837.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

When King Louis XVI is forced to take drastic measures to stave off financial collapse, Lafayette and other liberal-minded nobles hope to use the opportunity to push for much-needed reforms to France’s decrepit political structure. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the crisis facing the regime is more severe than previously thought.  Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

Returning home after the war’s conclusion, Lafayette continues to work for the betterment of his adoptive country. A few years later, he embarks on a grand tour of the United States, revisiting old friends and weighing in on some of the political issues that beset the fledgling nation. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

Rejoining the American war effort in 1780, Lafayette is sent south to bring a traitorous general to heel. Unbeknownst to him, his actions were setting the stage for the dramatic final act of the War of Independence: the Battle of Yorktown. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

After the formalization of an alliance between France and the United States, Lafayette is dispatched to facilitate cooperation between allied forces- a task that would prove more difficult than he’d hoped. Returning temporarily to his home country in 1779, the marquis continued to work tirelessly to advance the American cause abroad. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

Lafayette accompanies Washington and the Continental Army at their winter encampment at Valley Forge. During this time, he finds himself entangled in a series of political intrigues and inconclusive military actions that threaten to shake his faith in the American cause.  Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

Upon arriving in America, the Marquis de Lafayette is granted a commission in the Continental Army, serving directly under George Washington. Most expected this to be nothing more than a ceremonial appointment, but Lafayette remained determined to prove his worth to the American cause and to win glory on the battlefield. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956.  Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021.  Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011.  Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989.  Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

Born into a noble family in the small French town of Chavaniac, Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette would lose both of his parents at a young age. Left as an orphan and sent to live with relatives in Paris, he would inherit a massive fortune that altered the course of his life. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Auricchio, Laura. The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered. Vintage Books, 2015. Babeau, Emile and Maurice de la Fuye. The Apostle of Liberty: A Life of Lafayette. Thames and Hudson, 1956. Duncan, Mike. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution. Hachette Book Group, 2021. Israel, Jonathan. The Expanding Blaze: How the American Revolution Ignited the World, 1775-1848. Princeton University Press, 2011. Kramer, Lloyd S. Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of Revolutions. University of North Carolina Press, 1996. Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier. Memoirs, Correspondence, and Manuscripts of General Lafayette, vols 1-6. Saunders and Otley, 1837. Schama, Simon. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. Alfred A. Knopf, 1989. Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2002. Woodward, W.E. Lafayette. Farrar & Rinehart, 1938. Cover Image: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De Lafayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791. Painting by Joseph-Désiré Court, 1834. Closing theme: "Ça Ira" (It will be fine)- popular song from the French Revolution.

An official report on conditions in the Congo exposes the Free State’s atrocities to the world. As pressure mounts on Leopold II to relinquish control of his colony, the king became increasingly determined to cling onto it until his dying breath. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Ascherson, Neal. The King Incorporated: Leopold the Second and the Congo. Granta Books, 1963.  O’Siochain, Seamas and O’Sullivan, Michael. The Eyes of Another Race: Roger Casement’s Congo Report and 1903 Diary. University College Dublin Press, 2003. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Penguin Books, 2007.  Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Mariner Books, 2020.  Pakenham, Thomas. The Scramble for Africa: White Man’s Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912. Perennial, 2003. Rutz, Michael. King Leopold’s Congo and the ‘Scramble for Africa:’ a Short History with Documents. Hackett Publishing Co. Inc, 2018 Cover Image: Satirical cartoon appearing in a November 1906 edition of the British magazine "Punch" depicting Leopold II as a snake attacking a Congolese man. Opening Theme: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 by Antonín Dvořák Closing Theme: Central African tribal chant, date of recording unknown.

The exploitation of the Congo and its people greatly intensifies as rubber becomes a valuable trade commodity. As the Free State begins to rake in profits, a few individuals take notice of the rampant human rights abuses in the colony and resolve to put a stop to them. Email me: [email protected] Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Ascherson, Neal. The King Incorporated: Leopold the Second and the Congo. Granta Books, 1963.  O’Siochain, Seamas and O’Sullivan, Michael. The Eyes of Another Race: Roger Casement’s Congo Report and 1903 Diary. University College Dublin Press, 2003. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Penguin Books, 2007.  Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Mariner Books, 2020.  Pakenham, Thomas. The Scramble for Africa: White Man’s Conquest of the Dark Continent from 1876 to 1912. Perennial, 2003. Rutz, Michael. King Leopold’s Congo and the ‘Scramble for Africa:’ a Short History with Documents. Hackett Publishing Co. Inc, 2018 Cover Image: Satirical cartoon appearing in a November 1906 edition of the British magazine "Punch" depicting Leopold II as a snake attacking a Congolese man. Opening Theme: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 by Antonín Dvořák Closing Theme: Central African tribal chant, date of recording unknown.