Alphonse de Beauchamp (1769-1832) was a historian, born at Monaco, received his education in Paris, and entered the Sardinian military service. In 1792 he suffered imprisonment for refusing to bear arms against his country, but escaped to France, and under the Directory obtained a situation in the office of the Minister of Police, and had the surveillance of the press. Here he commenced his Histoire de la Vendée et des Chouans (three volumes, Paris, 1806), which depicted the cruelties of the Fouché regime. As this book displeased the Emperor, Beauchamp was banished to Rheims, but he was recalled in 1811 and again received a subordinate appointment. Under the Restoration he received a pension and wrote for the Moniteur and the Gazette de France. He wrote the Histoire du Pérou Conquest of Peru, (Paris, 1807), Histoire de Brésil (History of Brazil) (Paris, 1815), Histoire des campagnes de 1814 t 1815 (Paris 1817), Vie de Jules César (Paris, 1821), Vie de Louis XVIII (Paris, 1821). Mémoires secrètes et inédites pour servir à l'histoire contemporaine (Paris 1825), The Mémoires of Fouché (Paris, 1828-29) have also been ascribed to him.
- This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.
