The Marquis de Lafayette was an improbable leader in the American Revolutionary War.
Born into the French aristocracy in 1757 and orphaned at age 13, Lafayette was left with a vast inheritance and estate. At only 14 years old, he joined the Royal Army, following in the footsteps of his family’s prestigious military history. Two years later, he expanded his wealth and ties to French nobility by marrying Marie Adrienne Francoise de Noailles, a relative of the King. And yet, despite his wealth and high standing in French aristocracy, Lafayette was not content. During a stay in Paris, he learned of the American colonists’ revolt against the British. He began to attend and participate in sociétés de pensée (philosophical societies) with other intellectuals who sympathized with the colonists and their goal of independence. He was also accepted into the Masonic Military Lodge, where he could speak freely about the ideas of revolution and setting up a Republic. At these meetings, European intellectuals, academics and philosophers discussed the rights of man, the abolition of slavery, and the principles of the American movement, emphasizing the importance of equality and liberty. These principles were heavily influenced by the Enlightenment philosophies introduced a few decades before the American Revolutionary War. Enlightenment thinkers stressed reason, rationality, and individualism. They challenged ideas rooted in tradition and religion, such as superstitions, and inherited wealth and privilege. Instead they suggested reform through intellectual study and scientific method. Among their philosophies was the idea that citizens should be granted equality and individual freedoms.
“Improbable” means that something is unlikely to be true or to happen. Why can Lafayette be considered an “improbable” leader of the American Revolution? Use evidence from the passage to support your answer.