The Man Behind the Musketeers: Alexandre Dumas and French Identity
Oct 19, 2026, 6:30 PM ET<a href="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/man-behind-musketeers?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/man-behind-musketeers?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223">smithsonianassociates.org…</a>
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) has been alternately diminished, reclaimed, and celebrated, reflecting broader debates about what it means to be French. Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo , was of mixed-race heritage, and his experiences with racism further complicated his status. Historian Eric Martone traces how Dumas' reception has evolved from his century through the present.