Napoleon Bonaparte

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Napoleon Bonaparte was an extremely controversial figure, some saw him as an evil tyrant and others admired him as a strong military leader. Madame de Stael states “His system was to encroach daily upon France’s liberty and Europe’s independence.” While on the other hand Marshal Michel Ney, one of Napoleon’s soldiers, states “To the emperor Napoleon, our sovereign, belongs alone the right to rule over our beautiful country.” Whether people thought he was a menace or a hero, Napoleon had a significant impact on the social, economic, and political systems of Europe.

Socially, Napoleon impacted Europe in numerous ways. First, the French Directory even planned to use Napoleon to further their own goals. That alone shows that he was a man with very good ideas. Also while Napoleon was ruling, more citizens were given rights to property and also access to education, which would allow all of Europe’s social classes to thrive. Napoleon’s armies abolished titles of nobility and serfdom across Europe, which would make for a more equal nation. He also established a “meritocracy”, which let people succeed based on their skills and not their social class. As a child, Napoleon was an outcast and spent a lot of time alone working on his studies, thankfully this led him to become a genius that truly impacted Europe’s social system.

Napoleon also made many economic impacts. As an emperor, he took many steps to restore the economic well-being. For example he built new roads and canals, that would allow trade. Also he sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States, which led the U.S in to an age of expansion. And a huge impact on the economic system was Napoleon established the Bank of France, while balancing the budget, and undertaking major public work programs.

Finally, Napoleon impacted Europe politically. He recreated the map of Europe with only Britain outside of his empire, which shows his ultimate power. Even when Napoleon invaded countries he proceeded to make them better. Like, after invading Egypt, he reorganized the government and established the Institute of Egypt, and thanks to Napoleon the study of ancient Egypt began.

Some people see Napoleon as a burden because of his reckless decisions or for changing the social, political, and economic systems that they may have liked. But for those that admire Napoleon for his power and skills, it is true that he is a hero. The positive impacts he had on Europe definitely outweigh the negative.

RAFT Luddites: Taking Sides

When hearing the word "Luddite" many things might come to your mind, including “people who are like kinda against like technology.” Well, the word’s true meaning has definitely been twisted throughout the centuries, and there is much more to who the original Luddites actually were. Luddites were skilled weavers, mechanics, and other artisans, they were followers of the mythical figure “Ned Ludd”. During the early industrialization they attacked machines and factories to protest against economic hardship. The Luddites wanted more work and better wages, this was the reason behind their outbreaks. The piece that follows is a mock primary source letter, where I am a young girl factory worker, writing to my cousin in America.

         Two Luddites destroying a textile mill in the year 1812.

Dear Marie,

     You should be proud to know that I am the newest factory worker at a mill in Nottingham! But, the reason that I finally got this work is not too pleasant. You see, a handful of workers who call themselves “Luddites”, have been destroying machines. They come to the mill to protest, screaming “We want better wages!”. Of course, the mill owner fired these people and that’s how I ended up with this work. The other Saturday while I was working with my spinning frame, a crazy man started running up the aisles with an axe, it was nearly the most frightful experience of my life. I truly do not understand why these people are making such a fuss over industrialization, I believe it’s been very good, especially for me. Industrialization is providing so many jobs for people who need them, just like me. Now that I’m working here, I can become more independent and use what I earn to support my family back in America. I could not be more against the Luddites, their views on these effective machines are utterly short-sighted. If only they would appreciate these gifts as much as I do, and see how much good they bring to everyone's life. I plan on sticking up for the mill owners and showing my support by continuing my hard work in the mill.

Women in the Lowell Mills

The Lowell Experiment was a way to convince girls to come to work in Lowell, and also for their family to allow them to come. Mill owners assured the families that the girls would maintain morality and dignity while working in Lowell.

The “Lucy Hall” video showed how the women were motivated to go work in the Lowell Mills, and also the benefits and costs of their decision. The mill workers used the promise of a mother and father figure for the women when they went to work in Lowell which really persuaded the families. One of the many benefits was the women were paid for working, which would not only allow them to save money but also it helped their family back home. Another benefit was the women were being educated while working in Lowell. To add on to the benefits, the women were making friends like for example Lucy made a good friend, Harriet, who made her feel very welcomed in Lowell. One drawback for the families was once the girls left, they would have less help on the farm, but overall the benefits overruled the costs.

These opportunities for women and also the restrictions on their working lives reflect attitudes towards women in the 1800’s. The women gained major independence by working in the mills and they were important because they produced high demand goods. This showed all people that women deserved a better role in society, which is stated in the document “Labor in Lowell’. When wage cuts hit, the women went on strike and stood up to mill owners and this changed the attitude towards women immensely. All of a sudden, women became “important” and their voice mattered, their independence changed other people’s outlooks on them in the 1800’s.