The Reluctant Spy

In his role as a house servant, this enslaved man spied for the colonies and contributed to the British defeat at Yorktown. Eventually he won his freedom, with help from the Marquis de Lafayette—whose name he later adopted, and purchased the freedom of family members. Our guest assumes the character of James Armistead Lafayette at Colonial Williamsburg and is spreading the word about this little-known American hero. Guest: Stephen Seals, James Lafayette Interpreter, Community Outreach Liaison, and Program Development Manager at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation