Topics in Chronicling America - The Dreyfus Affair

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Important Dates:

• Oct. 15, 1894: Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French artillery Captain, is convicted of selling military secrets to Germany and sent to prison on Devil’s Island.
• 1896: The French Chief of Staff (Lieutenant-Colonel Piquart) suspects Major Walsin Esterhazy of being a spy and doubts Dreyfus’ guilt.
• Jan. 13- Feb. 23, 1898: Emile Zola publishes an open letter in the French newspaper L’Aurore to the President of France titled J’Accuse!, defending Dreyfus and charging the government with forgery of evidence.
• Aug. 1898: Colonel Henry is arrested after confessing to forging evidence in the Dreyfus case, and he commits suicide in his jail cell.
• Sept. 1898: Esterhazy admits to authoring the original piece of evidence used to convict Dreyfus.
• Aug.-Sept. 1899: Another Court-Martial is issued, and Dreyfus is found to be guilty again.
• Sept. 1899: President Loubet pardons Dreyfus on the condition that he not appeal his case.
• July 12, 1906: Dreyfus is fully exonerated by the High Court.

Suggested Search Terms:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Alfred Dreyfus, Walsin-Esterhazy, Piquart, Emile Zola, L’ Accuse, France, Jew, Loubet.

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Captain Dreyfus Guilty," The Sun (New York, NY), December 23, 1894, image 7, col. 4.
• "Hope for Dreyfus Dwindles," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), December 8, 1897, image 3, col. 2.
• "Shields the Army," Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), January 11, 1898, image 1, col. 1.
• "Zola's Defense of Dreyfus," Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), January 14, 1898, image 1, col. 3.
• "Residence of Zola Guarded," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), January 20, 1898, image 3, col. 5.
• "Justice Dethroned in France," Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), February 24, 1898, image 1, col. 1.
• "Colonel Henry's Suicide Follows His Confession," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), September 1, 1898, image 1, col. 1.
• "Two Wars Now Freely Predicted," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), September 3, 1898, image 1, col. 1.
• "Confesses That He Wrote the Famous Note," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), September 25, 1898, image 7, col. 4.
• "New Court-Martial Ordered for Dreyfus," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), June 4, 1899, image 1, col. 1.
• "Dreyfus: A Contest that Threatens a French Revolution," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), June 11, 1899, image 21.
• "Dreyfus Condemned," Omaha Daily Bee (Omaha, NE), September 10, 1899, image 1, col. 7.
• "Dreyfus Sacrificed to Save France," The San Francisco Call (San Francisco, CA), September 10, 1899, image 2, col. 3.
• "Pardon Granted Capt. Dreyfus," Deseret Evening News (Great Salt Lake City, UT), September 19, 1899, image 1, col. 1.
• "Dreyfus is Vindicated," New-York Tribune (New York, NY), July 13, 1906, image 1, col. 1.