Napoleon’s pragmatic embrace of liberal and democratic reforms in 1815 is really fascinating. It caused, amongst other things, a reconciliation of Napoleon with his brother Lucien — my personal favourite of the Bonaparte brothers, who had broken with the family over the decision to turn republic into empire.
Also, slight thing, I’m pretty sure that Napoleon only abolished the slave trade in 1815, rather than slavery itself. Given that it was Napoleon himself who had reintroduced slavery to France after the 1794 abolition, presumably no real abolitionists (or, indeed, the enslaved themselves) would’ve thought much of it.
Thank you. I think you’re probably right. Lots of countries started by banning the trade in slaves and gradually moving to abolition. I was recently checking the date of abolition in Canada and it was surprisingly late, but it seems likely there were few people still being held in slavery by then.
And, yes, his reintroduction of slavery was one of the most shocking things he did, and he doesn’t get nearly enough grief for it.
Napoleon’s pragmatic embrace of liberal and democratic reforms in 1815 is really fascinating. It caused, amongst other things, a reconciliation of Napoleon with his brother Lucien — my personal favourite of the Bonaparte brothers, who had broken with the family over the decision to turn republic into empire.
Also, slight thing, I’m pretty sure that Napoleon only abolished the slave trade in 1815, rather than slavery itself. Given that it was Napoleon himself who had reintroduced slavery to France after the 1794 abolition, presumably no real abolitionists (or, indeed, the enslaved themselves) would’ve thought much of it.
Thank you. I think you’re probably right. Lots of countries started by banning the trade in slaves and gradually moving to abolition. I was recently checking the date of abolition in Canada and it was surprisingly late, but it seems likely there were few people still being held in slavery by then.
And, yes, his reintroduction of slavery was one of the most shocking things he did, and he doesn’t get nearly enough grief for it.