Lafayette's advocacy of civil rights extended to all people, which means that he opposed slavery. Why Not, Lafayette? barely touches on this issue, but worth noting is his discomfort at being waited on by slaves, even while visiting old friends who were slave owners. Why Not, Lafayette? emphasizes his work in France to secure permanent legal rights for the common people rather than any discomfort he felt at flaws in American law. In France, he was a heroic figure for commoners and an irritation for those who sought to rule France. If he was not in danger of being executed by one or another king, then he was in danger of being beheaded by the revolutionary leaders who were annoyed by his insistence that they rule justly and that they not execute people who disagreed with them. Lafayette was a complicated man, seen as weak by...