Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

“Lafayette mania circa 1824 was specific to him and cannot be written off as a product of a simpler, more agreeable time. In the United States of America, there was no simpler, more agreeable time.”

Vowell discussions the thousands of people who came to welcome Lafayette back to America on his return tour. Because the United States was so new at that time, there were no more complicated former iterations of America to which the era could be compared. The appeal of Lafayette was uncorrupted by the country’s history since it had none. Even though partisanship existed during the formation of the United States, the most partisan politicians still admired him.

“That, to me, is the quintessential experience of living in the United States: constantly worrying whether or not the country is about to fall apart.”

Vowell draws frequent parallels between the political infighting of the past and that of modern-day politicians. During the United States’ formation, a British victory would have ended the American experiment before it began. But Vowell also views modern America as being in a similarly tenuous state. She refers to government shutdowns, constant bickering, and instability in the presidency as constant causes of concern.

“Ideas, when implemented, turn into precedents with unpredictable and potentially disturbing consequences.”

Vowell describes the effect that the American Revolution had on America’s French allies. The French looked at the revolt against the British Empire as an inspiration for the French Revolution. However, the French Revolution quickly devolved into senseless bloodshed and barbarity. The French leaders were pursuing the same ideals as the Founding Fathers in the beginning of the conflict, but the Jacobites soon perverted the revolutionary principles, leading to The Terror, a time when more than 800 executions by guillotine took place each month in France.