Thomas-Alexandre Dumas: Difference between revisions
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'''Thomas-Alexandre Dumas''', born '''Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie''' (1763 – 1806) was a [[France|French]] general during the [[French | '''Thomas-Alexandre Dumas''', born '''Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie''' (1763 – 1806), was a [[France|French]] general during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]]. Born to a white nobleman and one of his black [[Slavery|slaves]] in [[Haiti|Saint-Domingue]], Dumas was nevertheless raised in privilege, being brought to France where he received an aristocratic education. Serving in the [[French Army]], Dumas became an ally of the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]], helping them foil a [[Templars|Templar]] plot to overthrow the French Republic in 1793. He also became a subordinate of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], and a personal associate of the Assassin [[Arno Dorian]]. | ||
Rising to become the highest-ranking mulatto of all time in a [[Europe]]an army, Dumas led the revolutionary army in various military expeditions before falling out with Bonaparte. After returning to France, he had a son, {{Wiki|Alexandre Dumas}}, who became a famous writer. Thomas-Alexandre himself died of stomach cancer in 1806. | |||
==Biography== | |||
===Early life=== | |||
Dumas was born to a minor French nobleman, Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, and a black slave, {{Wiki|Marie-Cesette Dumas}} in Saint-Domingue. In 1776, Dumas' father sold him into slavery so that he could legally be brought to France and live as a free man there. In the meantime, his mother and siblings were sold and remained slaves. His only memories of them existed in the form of a few letters and other mementos. | |||
===Early military career=== | |||
{{Quote|Officer from the Antilles makes good! Captain Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, born in the Caribbean, has proven his valor here in France. An accomplished soldier, the young captain has charmed one and all, in some contrast to his friend and colleague, the taciturn Captain Bonaparte.|''Le Patriote'' describing Dumas.|Assassin's Creed: Unity}} | |||
Well over six feet tall, Dumas was fearless and decided to join the French Army, in which men with four generations of nobility on their father's side could enlist as commissioned officers. Although he qualified in these conditions, his mixed race background meant that he was forced to enlist as a private. He did so under his mother's family name, so as not to shame his father's family with holding such a low rank. | |||
As the [[French Revolution]], Dumas continued to serve in the army and went on to have a spectacular career, eventually reaching the rank of General. Accepting a commission in the "Black Legion", composed of free men of color, Dumas served as second-in-command to its commander, the {{Wiki|Chevalier de Saint-Georges}}. At some point, Dumas also became an ally of the Assassin Brotherhood. | |||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
Revision as of 22:16, 30 August 2015
Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, born Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie (1763 – 1806), was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. Born to a white nobleman and one of his black slaves in Saint-Domingue, Dumas was nevertheless raised in privilege, being brought to France where he received an aristocratic education. Serving in the French Army, Dumas became an ally of the Assassin Brotherhood, helping them foil a Templar plot to overthrow the French Republic in 1793. He also became a subordinate of Napoleon Bonaparte, and a personal associate of the Assassin Arno Dorian.
Rising to become the highest-ranking mulatto of all time in a European army, Dumas led the revolutionary army in various military expeditions before falling out with Bonaparte. After returning to France, he had a son, Alexandre Dumas, who became a famous writer. Thomas-Alexandre himself died of stomach cancer in 1806.
Biography
Early life
Dumas was born to a minor French nobleman, Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, and a black slave, Marie-Cesette Dumas in Saint-Domingue. In 1776, Dumas' father sold him into slavery so that he could legally be brought to France and live as a free man there. In the meantime, his mother and siblings were sold and remained slaves. His only memories of them existed in the form of a few letters and other mementos.
Early military career
- "Officer from the Antilles makes good! Captain Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, born in the Caribbean, has proven his valor here in France. An accomplished soldier, the young captain has charmed one and all, in some contrast to his friend and colleague, the taciturn Captain Bonaparte."
- ―Le Patriote describing Dumas.[src]
Well over six feet tall, Dumas was fearless and decided to join the French Army, in which men with four generations of nobility on their father's side could enlist as commissioned officers. Although he qualified in these conditions, his mixed race background meant that he was forced to enlist as a private. He did so under his mother's family name, so as not to shame his father's family with holding such a low rank.
As the French Revolution, Dumas continued to serve in the army and went on to have a spectacular career, eventually reaching the rank of General. Accepting a commission in the "Black Legion", composed of free men of color, Dumas served as second-in-command to its commander, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. At some point, Dumas also became an ally of the Assassin Brotherhood.
Trivia
- Dumas' son, Alexandre, became a famous novelist known for The Three Musketeers or The Count of Monte-Cristo. Joseph Balsamo, another of Alexandre Dumas' novels, is, ironically, centered around the existence of secret societies.
- Dumas' model is nearly identical to that of Captain Xavier, an assassination target that featured in Assassin's Creed: Unity's singleplayer demo for E3.
Gallery
-
A painting of Dumas
Reference