Name: SCEMS | Lecture | David McCallam
Start: 2023-03-30T17:15:00+01:00
End: 2023-03-30T18:30:00+01:00
Location: The Diamond, Workroom 3

SCEMS | Lecture | David McCallam

Sheffield Centre for Early Modern Studies

Childhood, Race and Revolution: Jean Amilcar, Marie-Antoinette's Adopted Black Boy

The Diamond, Workroom 3

<p>In the Departmental Archives of the Yvelines in Versailles, there is a slim dossier of paperwork labelled ‘Amilcar, petit indien élevé par Marie-Antoinette’. It relates to a Black slave boy ‘gifted’ to Marie-Antoinette in 1787 by the Chevalier de Boufflers, the French Governor of Senegal. Baptized in Versailles, then placed in a boarding school in Saint-Cloud, the boy’s education and needs were paid for by the Queen until 1792; after which the boarding school’s teacher, Quentin Beldon, adopted him and petitioned successfully for his charge to be recognized as a ward of the Republic. Teacher and adopted pupil nonetheless lived in poverty in Paris until late 1795 when Beldon’s repeated requests for state aid finally allowed the boy to enrol in the prestigious arts college, the École nationale de Liancourt. Sadly, however, Amilcar fell ill there (tuberculosis?) and died in May 1796, aged only fourteen.</p><p>This paper will look at the shifts in status of Jean Amilcar – from racialized ‘pethood’, then protégé of the queen’s household and personal charge of his boarding school teacher, to becoming an orphaned ward of the revolutionary Republic. It will interrogate how changes in political regime are reflected at the intersections of ideology and race in determining the treatment of Amilcar and his place in revolutionary society. Where appropriate, a critical comparison with the orphaned Black slave girl, Ourika – who was similarly taken to France and ‘gifted’ by Boufflers to the Maréchale de Beauvau – will be used to highlight further intersections of gender and race in the period.</p>

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

SCEMS | Lecture | David McCallam

More events from Sheffield Centre for Early Modern Studies

Follow organisers to get events picked for you

SCEMS | Lecture | David McCallam

More events from Sheffield Centre for Early Modern Studies

Follow organisers to get events picked for you

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.