Alexandre Dumas
(1802-1870)

This Frenchman is one of the world's greatest and most prolific writers of all time. Author of more than 300 volumes in the standard French edition, Dumas was the most well-known author of his day. Alexandre Dumas's grandfather was a marquis who had settled in San Domingo, and his grandmother was Marie-Cessette Dumas, a Black "slave" woman. Their son, Thomas-Alexandre was the celebrated mulatto general who had distinguished himself in service with Napoleon in many campaigns. General Dumas died in 1806 after being refused a pension by Napoleon who disliked his independent spirit. The son of the general, Alexandre Dumas, raised by his mother, began his writing career in 1819. He was unsuccessful in his earliest efforts of writing plays. Dumas soon learned his craft well enough to become a master storyteller. He began to write prolifically with collaborators. They wrote melodramas, vaudeville-type sketches, plays, novels, children's books, and travel books. By 1843, he had written The Three Musketeers, Vingt Ans Apres (Twenty Years After), The Count of Monte Cristo, Le Reine Margot (Queen Margot), Joseph Balsanw (Memoirs of a Physician), The Man In the Iron Mask, Georges, Antony, and many more. With his pen, he exercised his power to capture an audience by weaving a tale filled with romance, suspense, victory, and tragedy. His heroic feats during battle in the July Revolution meant little to royalists when he returned to his writings. Dumas had many liaisons in his lifetime. In 1840, he married Ida Ferrier. They agreed to a friendly separation in 1844.

Dumas traveled extensively during his lifetime throughout all of Europe. In 1846, he took his son to Spain and North Africa. His son, Alexandre Dumas fils, was also a writer of novels. His themes were more moralistic and tragic. Dumas made and lost several fortunes. He gave away money to anyone in need and used much of it to defend his writings in a variety of lawsuits. He was the founder of several periodicals and active in politics. His pursuit of women was legendary.

Alexandre Dumas was a unique, distinctive, creative individual for any era. His popularity continues today through film and television productions of the characters he created many years ago. He died of a stroke in 1870 and a statue was dedicated in his honor in Paris in 1883.