French Revolutionary War hero, Marquis de Lafayette arrived in New York on August 16, 1824 and conducted a tour of America. He traveled over 6,000 miles while visiting the 24 existing states. This oval engraving of Lafayette reads "Welcome Virtuous Lafayette" above the engraving and "Aug. 1824" below the image.

Lafayette arrived in Portland, Maine on June 25, 1825. The city welcomed him on Bramhall's Hill with a speech by Stephen Longfellow, followed by a parade, dinner at Union Hall on Free Street, and an evening party at the governor's home on Danforth Street. Lafayette's tour offered a chance for a new generations of Americans to connect with the Revolution.