[2] Hoàng Hoa Thám's parents had both died after joining a resistance group in the mountains rallying against the Court of Huế.

[3] Seeking anonymity, his paternal uncle fled to the Yên Thế area, changing the family name from Trương to Hoàng.

[4] As the Protectorate consolidated control in Tonkin, French troops under Joseph Gallieni swept thru Yên Thế in 1890-91, routing most of the resistance fighters.

Gallieni's campaign however was halted when Đề Thám attacked the railway, seizing trains, supplies and even capturing a local official for ransom.

Subsequent military campaigns chipped away at the fiefdom but Đề Thám's exploits and fame proved to be a thorn in the flank of the Protectorate well into the early decades of the 20th century.