Who is Lafayette, and how is he historically important in the novel, The Women of Chateau Lafayette?

Lafayette is one of the most well-known Frenchmen of the late 1700s. He defied the French king to aid the American colonists in their fight against Britain (104). Later, he helped spark the French Revolution (261). He stood up to the king and his fellow nobles in order to fight for ordinary people crushed by the greed of the upper class. For French and American citizens, both in his lifetime and today, Lafayette symbolizes the fight for justice, equality, and equity.