Introduction
Revolutionary Brothers: Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Friendship that Helped Forge Two Nations is a biography book by Tom Chaffin, first published on November 26, 2019. The book is about two national heroes, one French and the other American. Thomas Jefferson, an American politician and diplomat, was a close friend of the Marquis de Lafayette, a French delegate.
In a biographical narrative, Chaffin reveals how these two men’s friendship bore two nations in about four decades—America and France won their revolutionary battles because of the contributions made by Jefferson and Lafayette. The two friends were there for each other during happy and sad moments, and even though they had been separated for 35 years, they always thought of each other. This paper reports essential aspects of the book, including the general topic, intended audience, purpose, tone, perspective, and the author’s main points and thesis.
General Topic of the Book
The book highlights the significant life experiences of Jefferson and Lafayette during the fight for American freedom. It is about their contribution to the independence of America and France during the 1700s and 1800s (Chaffin 12). By interchangeably reviewing their biographies, the book shows how the two men met, became friends, and left a legacy in both countries. The narrative unfolds in short chapters that move back and forth between Lafayette and Jefferson, implying the highs and lows of their lives from the perspective of revolutionary experience.
When America was seeking independence from the rule of Great Britain, the French were equally experiencing revolutionary chaos. Lafayette moved to America to offer military help, where he served as a general and aided in chasing the British from the American land. Jefferson, a US Minister, was sent to serve as a diplomat in France.
In the 1780s, France was experiencing social and civil unrest under the leadership of King Louis XVI, the Bourbon Monarchy (Chaffin 21). France was also at war with the Prussian and Austrian armies, which had overthrown King Louis XVI. The anticipation for Lafayette to restore the king’s power led him to be detained in Prussia for five years.
The friendship of Lafayette and Jefferson represented the union and victory of the two nations. The book explores a variety of Lafayette’s friends in America, who, together with Jefferson, supported Lafayette in the French Revolution. The book also highlights the hypocrisy of Jefferson regarding freedom and the vacillations of wanting freedom and revenge. Chaffin reveals how the two men worked through their different personalities to overcome critical, life-changing experiences of the revolution. Indeed, the author mentions that Jefferson and Lafayette are American heroes whose friendship formed their two nations.
Intended Audience
The Revolutionary Brothers’ target audience is people interested in American history. Based on the general topic of the book, Chaffin makes it apparent that he targets history enthusiasts. Two major categories of the audience that might be primarily interested in American history are American students and historical writers.
School students, especially those pursuing history in higher learning, may find this book informative. The students will learn about the primary contributors to the American Foundation and their experiences during the revolution from the text. The students will understand the roots of the 3rd American president, Thomas Jefferson, and how he became president. The students can also understand the contribution of France to the American quest for independence from Great Britain.
Historians and historical authors may also find this book educative. There are numerous stories and experiences about the American founding fathers, but Chaffin’s book is the first to paint a clearer picture of the union between America and France. Therefore, historians will find the knowledge from this book incredible to update their knowledge of the history of the American Revolution.
Purpose
The book explores Jefferson and Lafayette’s friendship to reveal how their life experiences contributed to a revolution in America and France. Chaffin achieves this purpose through an intimate and panoramic narrative of more than four decades of friendship. He shows how dedication, sacrifice, and passion strengthened this friendship to the point of forming the leadership of two nations. The book also depicts Lafayette and Jefferson as American founding fathers who could put their interests aside to fight for the independence of their countries.
The Author’s Thesis
The author’s thesis is that Lafayette and Jefferson’s friendship mirrors the importance of international relations, which enabled the establishment of America and France during the Revolutionary War. Although not possible to practice today, American-French relations, where an American minister would become a minister in France and a French delegate would become a US military officer, forged two great nations. Further interpretation of this thesis is that the contribution of other founding fathers is shown and appreciated through exploring the life experiences of the two primary characters.
Tone and Perspective
The book uses a reflective tone and a third-person perspective. Chaffin narrates the stories of Jefferson and Lafayette by reflecting on their lives and friendship. A third-person perspective involves viewing ideas from one point of view through another. Chaffin tells the story from historical sources and biographies. In other words, he views the story from another person’s perspective. Combining the reflective tone and a third-person perspective helps the author successfully display historical storytelling concepts.
Main Points and Arguments
The Significance of International Relations
The primary point or argument of the book’s author is the importance of international relations. America greatly relied on France’s support to win the Revolutionary War against Great Britain. According to Chaffin, Lafayette came to America and offered military help during the revolution (22). Through George Washington, Lafayette became the military general leading defense forces toward fighting the British (Chaffin 28). Although he approached Washington at a tender age, Lafayette proved helpful in the American War. It was during this time that Lafayette met Jefferson for official military purposes. The two then got acquainted and consulted each other during the war.
Using the military knowledge he attained in America, Lafayette went to rescue France from the hands of Prussia and Austria. The American government significantly backed Lafayette through advice and diplomatic services. When Jefferson was sent to France as a diplomat, he offered great help to Lafayette. Jefferson supported the French Revolution and allowed Lafayette to host rebel meetings at his place (Chaffin 87). When the Prussians detained Lafayette and his family, Jefferson and other American founding fathers never rested while trying to secure his release (Chaffin 438).
In other words, the French Revolution was highly inspired by the success of the American Revolution. France also contributed to its success during the American Revolution by providing weapons and funding (Chaffin 96). The interdependence of France and America towards the French Revolution indicates the importance of international relations.
The Deep Roots of Positive Relations Between France and America
France aided North America in winning the Revolutionary War against Britain. According to Chaffin, Lafayette met George Washington as a means for France to help the US (45). As the US fought with the British, France offered support by providing uniforms, ammunition, arms, supplies, and naval and troops (Chaffin 20).
The French navy transported reinforcements that fought off the British fleet in Virginia. The army was also responsible for protecting Washington and his forces from the enemy. During this time, Lafayette became a major actor in changing American history. Back in France, Lafayette also supported Jefferson’s diplomatic services (Chaffin 67). Lafayette was royal and well-connected, and together with his wife’s link to the French royal court, Jefferson could negotiate the treaties with the European nations.
Lafayette Was More Useful in the US
Although Chaffin covers duo biographies, he focuses more on Lafayette than on Jefferson. He intends to show how helpful Lafayette was to America, hence the recognition. Many parks, cities, towns, and hotels are named after Lafayette to honor him. Although he was initially driven by the need to avenge his father’s death against England, Lafayette later focused on rescuing America.
As the major general of George Washington’s forces, Lafayette was wounded in the battle of Brandywine but still managed to lead a successful retreat (Chaffin 56). When feted in the US, Lafayette revealed that he was more valued in the US than in France. Indeed, the French king sought to deter him from performing his father’s death revenge. It was then that Lafayette ran away to America and found a way of being useful against the British.
Chaffin proved Lafayette’s value to the US when he was locked away for five years. After Lafayette returned to France to rescue the king from the hands of the Prussians, he was taken by the Austrians and the Prussians to their succession prisons. Jefferson had returned to the US but was still a strong supporter of the French Revolution.
When he learned about the capture of Lafayette, Jefferson and other friends started working towards his release. However, their effort was all in vain, and Lafayette had to serve for 35 years (Chaffin 342). Chaffin highlights an emotional reunion at Monticello, where Lafayette and Jefferson met for the first time in over 35 years. The emotional connection, among other aspects, reveals that Lafayette was more valued in the US than in France.
Conclusion
In Revolutionary Brothers, Chaffin shows how a politically based friendship forged two nations. The author’s purpose was to illustrate the possibilities of friendship by analyzing the lives of Jefferson and Lafayette. The book implies the importance of international relations through the collaboration of France and America to win their revolutionary battles.
Chaffin also honors the value of friendship by narrating how Lafayette and Jefferson were there for each other during happy and challenging times. Lafayette’s contributions to the US forces began a strong relationship between France and America. Through the efforts of Jefferson and Lafayette, America and France emerged victorious in the Revolutionary War. Having been recently published, the book has received only a few reviews and thus needs more analysis.
Work Cited
Chaffin, Tom. Revolutionary Brothers: Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Friendship that Helped Forge Two Nations. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2019.