Early Life
He was born in Le Bar-sur-Loup of a noble Provençal family. He entered the French Navy at an early age and served with distinction in the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1755 he was promoted to captain and given command of the frigate Oriflamme. He served in the Seven Years' War, commanding a number of ships, including the 74-gun ship Souverain.
After the Seven Years War he served as governor of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) from 1764-1766, where he showed himself to be both an able administrator and a strict disciplinarian. In 1778, he was promoted to rear admiral.
American Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, De Grasse played a significant role in the French navy's efforts to support the American cause. In 1781 he was given command of the French fleet in the Caribbean and ordered to work with George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau to coordinate a joint attack on the British forces in Virginia.
De Grasse arrived off the coast of Virginia in August 1781 and blockaded the British fleet under Admiral Thomas Graves in Chesapeake Bay. This blockade prevented the British from sending reinforcements to Lord Cornwallis' army, which was besieged at Yorktown. On September 5, 1781, De Grasse's fleet defeated Graves's in the Battle of the Chesapeake, securing French and American control of the bay and leading to the surrender of Cornwallis's army on October 19, 1781.
After the Battle of the Chesapeake, De Grasse returned to the Caribbean, where he continued to harass British shipping. In 1782, he was recalled to France, where he was promoted to vice admiral.
Later Life and Death
De Grasse served in the French Navy until his retirement in 1784. He died in Paris on January 11, 1788. He is considered one of the most distinguished naval commanders in French history.