General Alexandre Dumas was a mixed-race Haitian slave and swordsman who had been nearly erased from history by his jealous rival, Napoleon Bonaparte.
General Dumas was born in 1762 to a slave mother and a white father in Haiti. His father was a fugitive. Though he could have taken his father’s respected last name, he chose his mother’s side as namesake. Born into bondage, Dumas was taken to Paris by his father, where he joined the French Army and rose through the ranks to General.
A leader in the French Revolution, Dumas led over 50,000 white soldiers to victory. He once captured thirteen enemy soldiers by himself. He also led four men on horseback into enemy territory and captured 16 more prisoners. It was recorded that he led a small group of men up icy cliffs at night to surprise and defeat and Austrian battery. Dumas and his army fought hard, and through victory, they ended slavery in France.
Referred to as the leader of the “The Black Legion,” Dumas protected the French borders against Germany. This was until Napoleon Bonaparte became jealous during the battle over Egypt and had him thrown into a dungeon. Dumas was slowly poisoned while in captivity. While he was locked away, Napoleon Bonaparte returned the country to slavery and tried to erase the legacy of Dumas. By the time Dumas was released, France had been restored to segregated turmoil and dictatorship. General Dumas died in 1806.
The only monument to honor General Dumas was constructed by his son, Alexandre Dumas II but was destroyed in 1940 by Nazis in Paris. Consequently, General Dumas’ son went on to be come the successful author of two acclaimed novels: The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Muskateers, both of which have been attributed to his father’s leadership in the French army.
The life of General Alex Dumas is told in the new best-seller called “The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo” by Tom Reiss.
I’m Haitian, i don’t believe one cent from that story. something wrong with the pic… Toussaint Louverture, Jean Jackques Dessalines, Capois La Mort , Henri Christophare the best General of all time… i got it they try to distorted Toussaint Louverture Lagacy…
uh, not the most truthful biography. As mentioned above, Dumas was captured in Italy on his way home following the conquest of Egypt. He had no part in abolishing slavery in France, he was 30 years too early for one thing. Whilst I agree that history books are often partisan, you can’t just re-write them with any old rubbish. Dumas was however the first person of Black origin to rise to General in the French Army, not too shabby for the son of a colonial slave.
The account of the life of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas in the above articel is misleading.
Dumas did not have anything to do with fighting for the end of slavery in France. Look it up it is not even suggested by any historian black or white.
Also the article above says “Napoleon Bonaparte became jealous during the battle over Egypt and had him thrown into a dungeon.” That is nonsense. General Dumas while leaving Egypt after Egypt’s conquest was captured in Italy by The Holy Faith Army asscoiates of King Ferdinand IV of Naples who imprisoned him for two years. They were an Italian rebel group, enemies of France.
No Napoleon did nor have him thrown in a dungeon.
Back home Dumas’ wife kept pressure on the French authorities to locate her husband, which they finally did negotiating his release after the French forces seized control of southern Italy.
General Dumas was a calvary command General for the French empire.
This gentleman was the father of Alexandre Dumas the author of The Three Musketeers and The Man With The Iron Mask. Awesome story!!
HMMMM!!!!!! It seems like the Repubs and the tea baggers, are making history repeat itself. They are jealous of MY President and if they could, they would rewrite history, where Dubya caught OBL and President Obama, let the September 11, 2001 atacks happen under his watch.
A few years ago my and my sister did a family tree and trace our roots back to mr. Alexandre B. Dumas. He was one of our founding fathers. It’s crazy that you all would choose him to do today.