People of color throughout Europe in 1792, from Sweden to Spain, Ireland to Russia, all lived different lives in a way that is difficult for a scholar to generalize. Our distinct lack of tangible source material about the everyday life of the typical or average French individual of African descent makes such generalizations practically impossible at the present time, but research continues with even more fervor today than it ever has before. The most well-known examples presented to us have often been those that contemporary white French people considered exceptional, such as General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas (father of famed French author Alexandre Dumas) or the composer Joseph Bologne. These were men and women who moved in elite circles, who were considered intellectual or gifted, and who occasionally had claim to nobility. Their visibility amongst the elite makes them stand out in the source material, yet they were undoubtedly a minority within the larger black French world.

For the sake of making this a focused answer, it will focus on metropolitan France. However, the story of the 18th century black presence in France is intrinsically connected to French colonialism and slavery. Without the French slave trade, without the French Empire's overseas colonies and plantations in the Caribbean, we would not see the influx of people of African descent in France during the 18th century. However, by stating this, I do not in any way imply that slavery and colonialism are requirements for people of African descent in France. In fact, the black presence in the region we recognize as France today goes back to the 15th century. Although many who arrived in France throughout the 18th century did so as enslaved persons, this had not always been the case.

How you as a person of African descent arrived in France in the 18th century could therefore vary. Some were already there, being domiciled black French individuals who was born and raised in France and who could trace their families back generations. Others were travellers and visitors, some even African royalty, who in some cases came to find a European education in French institutions. Yet it was more common to see individuals of African descent arriving on French shores as enslaved servants, accompanying their wealthy enslaver. Having a black servant was seen as a status symbol throughout Europe at this time. They would often dress them up in fanciful outfits, like they were dressing a pet, that reflected their 'exotic' origins. In some cases, enslavers could also be the father of a biracial child that they decided to send to metropolitan France for education. An additional way in which a person of African descent might end up in France was as a soldier or a sailor, continuing a presence in the French Army and Navy that still persists. Yet the very nature of plantation life and slavery meant that there are no accurate estimates as to how many black individuals there were in France during the 18th century. While there were those who remained in the country, others were there for a few months or years. Some came back repeatedly, some only visited once. The extraordinary and unique 1777-1778 census of free and enslaved black individuals in France shows this problem. Approximately 770 individuals were counted. However, in reality, the number was likely much higher and it is difficult to gauge as to how accurate each intendant of the city or town in which the count was held actually performed their reporting. What is more interesting to me, however, is the geographical reach of the black presence in France. They were not only present in Paris or in port cities such as Brest, but even in remote mountain locations in Burgundy.

In sum, the life of a French individual of African descent could vary tremendously. Your life would be different if you were an African prince studying at a French university, the son of a French nobleman practicing music, a servant in elite circles, a garrisoned soldier, a tradesman living in Brest, or a beggar in Paris. The plurality of life experiences is a testament to the complexity of attempting to reach an understanding of the typical individual during this time period and reminds us that we have much, much more research to do in order to get a full view of black France in the 18th century.

Sources:

Shelby T. McCloy's 1961 The Negro in France has remained the standard work on the black presence in France in English for decades. The majority of recent research in English has looked at the more complex questions surrounding the understanding of race, slavery, and freedom in metropolitan France during the 18th century. See 'There Are No Slaves in France': The Political Culture of Race and Slavery in the Ancien Régime by Sue Peabody, "Racial Purity or Legal Clarity? The Status of Black Residents in Eighteenth-Century France" by Pierre H. Boulle in Journal of the Historical Society and "What's in a Name? Mixed-Race Families and Resistance to Racial Codification in Eighteenth-Century France* by Jennifer L. Palmer in French Historical Studies. For a recent general overview of the black presence in Europe, see African Europeans: An Untold History by Olivette Otele.