The Lafayette Land Grant was a gift by the government of the United States of just over 23000 acres (93.1 km²) of real estate

Real estate

In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...

 in central Leon County, Florida

Leon County, Florida

Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...

, United States.

Origins

During the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

, Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette loaned money to the government of the United States. To help Lafayette after the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

, the United States gave the marquis $24,000 followed by land in what is now Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 in 1803. In 1824, another $200,000 and his choice of a township

Township

The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...

 worth of land was given around the time of his visit to the United States circa 1824-25

Visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States (1824-25)

From July 1824 to September 1825, the last surviving French General of the Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette, made a famous tour of the 24 states in the United States...

Settlement

Lafayette chose land near his friend Richard Keith Call. Col. John McKee

John McKee

John McKee was an American politician who served as the first Representative of Alabama's 2nd District from 1823 to 1829. McKee was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia , and attended Liberty Hall Academy in Lexington...

 of Alabama was given the task of traveling to Florida and selecting Lafayette's piece of land. The warrant officially giving Lafayette the land was signed by President John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...

 on July 4, 1825. The land included what is now Lake Lafayette within that tract. The Southwest corner of the Lafayette grant is marked by a monument in Tallahasse, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 which also serves as a survey marker for the Tallahassee Meridian

Tallahassee Meridian

The Tallahassee Meridian, in longitude 84° 16' 37.59" west from the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, runs north and south from the initial point on the base line at Tallahassee, in latitude 30° 26' 04.12" north, and as a Principal meridian governs the surveys in Florida and Alabama as part of the...

.

Lafayette never visited his land in Florida, however, by the 1830s, several Frenchmen who knew Lafayette including Prince Achille Murat

Prince Achille Murat

Achille Charles Louis Napoléon, Crown Prince of Naples, Hereditary Prince of Berg, 2nd Prince Murat was the eldest son of the King of Naples during the First French Empire and later in life mayor of Tallahassee, Florida in the United States.-Early life:Murat was born in the Hôtel de Brienne in...

, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, had moved to the area to live with Murat living several miles away. They found north Florida's subtropical climate far too warm, and to add to their misery, their deeds were deemed void. Some of these settlers returned to France and others moving to the French city of New Orleans. The part of Tallahassee

Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

 where some of the French settled is known as "Frenchtown

Frenchtown (Tallahassee)

Frenchtown is an historical section of Tallahassee, Florida, United States-Origin:Frenchtown originated from 19th century settlers who moved to the area from France. Their relocation was prompted by the July 4, 1825 Lafayette Land Grant which gave Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette a township...

" today. By 1855, all the land included in the Lafayette Township (over 23,000 acres) had been sold to individual buyers.