1748-1830

While a slave in Virginia, he volunteered to fight for the American cause.

He spied on the British army for the Americans and reported his findings to General Lafayette. When the British General Cornwallis asked him to spy on the Americans, he became a double agent, giving Cornwallis misinformation from Washington. The information he sent to Lafayette resulted in the French fleet blocking the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. This blockade prevented Cornwallis from receiving supplies and reinforcements, which forced him to surrender at Yorktown.

For his services during the war, he was granted his freedom by the Virginia Legislature.

He took the name of Lafayette because of his strong admiration for the French General, Marquis de Lafayette.