FOLLOW THE FRENCHMEN | EPISODE 16 - CLARKSVILLE, TN

#followthefrenchmen EPISODE 16 | Clarksville, TN.

Clarksville, TN enjoys the reputation of being a city friendly to the military due to the proximity of the Army Garrison at Fort Campbell. The city and the military are closely interconnected here. In fact, they have been since the Revolutionary War. Many veterans who had become recipients of the federal land grants programs settled in the area.

Lafayette visited Clarksville on May 6, 1825. As a Major General of the Continental Army, Lafayette was able to ignite Revolutionary War patriotic feelings in a region of the United States which had not yet achieved statehood at the time of the American Revolution. His visit to Clarksville, TN was indicative of his unique ability to reconcile the American Revolution with the new national geography of the young republic.

Lafayette’s visit to Clarksville in 1825 was an intense moment of pride for the locals, mostly because by honoring Lafayette and the Revolutionary War veterans, Clarksville was celebrating the story of its own founding.

Follow The Frenchmen and find out more about the story of Clarksville's founding and how Lafayette's visit in 1825 fits into it.

Special thanks to David and Kevin for an amazing boat ride!