Causes and Circumstances of the Du Pont Family's Emigration

Abstract

Despite the numerous books and articles on the Du Pont family's life in France and in the United States, explanations of the causes and circumstances of the family's emigration to the United States are sketchy and often misleading. The Du Ponts have as often as not been included among the 6migres or refugees of the French Revolution. William S. Dutton, in his book, Du Pont: One Hundred and Forty Years, expresses this view most explicitly when he characterizes E. I. du Pont as a refugee fleeing from a French dictatorship.' This article tells the story behind the Du Pont family's decision in 1797 to leave France and describes the circumstances under which they actually left two years later. The story begins in Paris with the coup d'etat of September 4, 1797.2