Napoleon's Political, Social, and Economic Influences

Napoleon sometimes made bad decisions, but much his overall impact, especially regarding France was positive. He is often pictured as a cruel man who was greedy for power, but he did improve the quality of life in France and the other countries that he conquered. One of Napoleon's opposers, Madame de Stael, a member of nobility, described Napoleon as having “profound contempt for all the intellectual riches of human nature: virtue, dignity, religion, enthusiasm: in his eyes they are ‘the eternal enemies of the continent’”.  She and other like her were opposed to Napoleon because many of the high-ranking nobles, including her father who was the former financial advisor of King Louis XVI lost their jobs. Although Madame de Stael was against Napoleon, he had many followers. Marshal Michael Ney was one of Napoleon's followers. He was a soldier in his army and experienced Napoleon's skill and combat strategy first hand. He described Napoleon as an “august emperor” and “immortal legion”. He believed that “to the emperor Napoleon, our sovereign, belongs alone the right to rule over our beautiful country”. In order to see his overall impact, we have to break it up into social, economic, and political.

One area in which Napoleon was looking out for the best interest of Europe and not just France was in politics. He took over virtually every European country but Britain, but he tried to improve them all. In every country, Napoleon did away with all noble titles. He also ended the Church’s long tradition of having an excessive amount of power. Napoleon took a special interest in Egypt when he traveled there, and created an entirely reorganized system of government. In every country he was responsible for, Napoleon created systems that were more fair and had more benefits for ordinary people, not just leaders and nobles.

Napoleon also had great success with economic reform. He worked hard to improve the economy of France to benefit the general population. Napoleon encouraged trade by creating new canals and roads to make the transport of goods easier and removing all trade barriers. He encouraged new industries to grow. Napoleon was able to bring the French budget to a good balance during his rule and created new jobs to give more citizens work to support themselves. Unfortunately, not every way that Napoleon tried to restore the economy was beneficial to everyone. At one point in the French Revolution, he stole priceless artwork and an enormous amount of money from Italy. Looking at the situation from an Italian perspective, it was not a good move, but Napoleon’s job was to improve the economy in France, and in that regard, he was a success.

Lastly, Napoleon also changed the social aspect of the country of France. During his rule over France, he dissolved the idea of social classes and replaced it with a system known as a “meritocracy”, where the citizens were rewarded by their skills and not their social class. This new system made people more equal and gave them more chances. You could have the same opportunity at success as someone born to a family who had previously had a higher social standing. Napoleon also made sure that more citizens had the same rights to own property as everyone else. He also worked to improve the education systems not only in France but also in the other countries he conquered. He gave all citizens equal rights to a proper education and in Egypt, opened the Institute of Egypt, which focused mainly on the study of ancient Egyptian culture. Napoleon made everyday life easier for the people he ruled over and gave more opportunities to everyday people. He had a positive influence on the social life of France and all the countries under his rule because he improved the quality of life for his people.

Napoleon did not always go about his reforms in the best ways, but he had the people’s best interest, especially the people of France. His influences were positive because he changed all of these countries for the better.

Was Ned Ludd Real? And How The Luddites Affected The Factories

The Luddites were very skilled artisans such as weavers, mechanics, and other craftsmen that often attacked machinery and factories during the early industrial revolution. Contrary to popular belief, the Luddites were not actually protesting against technology. They were upset over the economic hardship that these machines were causing for society. Wages were being reduced because the work the factory employees were doing needed less skill. The Luddites protested “The Man”, and the fact that factory owners had more power over their workers. The Luddites got their name because they considered themselves followers of the fictional “Ned Ludd”. Ned Ludd never actually existed. He was a character in a make-believe story that the Luddites say occured 22 years prior. The story goes that an apprentice named Ludham was working at his machine and was criticized for his work not being good enough. Ludham became very angry, so he used a hammer to wreck the machine. The story went around and he became the symbolic leader of the Luddites.  The picture of Ned Ludd is false because he was a completely fictitious leader of the Luddites.

A drawing of the fictional Ned Ludd leading the Luddites

Below is a letter written to a cousin in America about what was happening in the English mill towns during the time of the Luddites.

Dear Mary,

As you probably know, I went to work in the factories just a few months ago.  It is a good job, not too hard, and I get paid enough to afford room and board with a little left over. Unfortunately, I am a little afraid that  my job will not last much longer.  Two factories around me have already been forced to close because all of their machines have been broken to pieces by a group of people known as Luddites. The Luddites do not like that wages are being cut and people are being fired and replaced by machines. They snuck into the two factories after dark and destroyed the machines. The factory owners had not choice but to fire the workers, not because they are to blame, but because without machines, there is no work to be done by them.

I do not support the Luddites. I do feel badly that their jobs and the economy are at such a risk that they have to resort to violence. However, I  have to think of myself and I am afraid they will come after my factory next. I will not have any choice, but to return to the family farm should my job be taken away. Although I do not make a large wage, it is a substantial help to my family, and helps them afford more than just necessities. We were talking this morning at breakfast in my boarding house about what we would do should our factory be shut down. Some girls will try to find new jobs, and they will have an advantage because of their experience. The majority of us believe we will just return to the country and go back to helping our families. I still have hope that this is a choice I will not have to make, because I hope my place of employment will not become a target for the Luddites.

Say hello to the whole family in America for me.

Sincerely,

Molly

What Did the Lowell Mills Show About the Roles of Women in the 19th Century?

As a young woman working on a family farm, there were many reasons why you might want to go to work in the factories. It benefited your family in more than one way, such as giving them one less mouth to feed. The girls were often paid a very good amount, and the money was often sent back to the family, and could be used to save for things such as a dowry, so the girl could one day get married and also to help pay off the family's mortgage loans. Working in the factory could also help benefit a girl's future. They would get good work experience, and while living in the mill city, could even meet a man to marry and start a family with. The girls were also benefited. They were given a room to stay in and three meals a day at a boardinghouse for a small price. The work was monotonous but not terrible, and they could afford more than just necessities. Both the girls and the factory owners benefitted because the women were a cheap labor source, and easy for the factory workers to come by.
The jobs given to the women in the Lowell Mills were difficult but easy to pick up on from women with more experience. Common jobs included spinners, warpers, weavers, drawers, and dressers. Although the girls who came to the factories from family farms were used to hard work and long days, the mill work was a completely different experience for them. A regular day of work at a mill lasted around 13 hours. For six days of this, which equaled about 78 hours, they would only be paid somewhere around $3.50, but a good portion of this money went to their room and meals in the boarding house they lived in.

No matter how well the factory was advertised, it didn't always live up the expectations. "Oh! Isn't it a pity such a pretty girl as I should be sent away to the factory to pine away and die? Oh! I cannot be a slave, I will not be a slave, for I am so fond of liberty that I cannot be a slave." This is part of a song that was sung by Lowell women strikers who were not happy with wage cuts and the overall treatment they received. As "daughters of free men", the women believed there were certain right they were entitled to but were being denied by the factory workers.

The first organized protest in Lowell was a strike that occurred in 1834. The workers became outraged when it was announced that there would be a 15% pay cut, but they would still expect the women to complete the same amount of work. 800 women walked it of their jobs and took to the streets to defend themselves and their positions. However, there were many girls willing to come in and work, and the workers were easily replaced. In 1836, the workers went on strike again, and this time they were successful. They were angered by the announcement that the boardinghouse rates would be changed and made higher. They were better prepared this time, and even began shutting down parts of the factory. It took several weeks to wear them down, but factory owners eventually gave up and put the original prices back in place.

The women had to fight for their freedom and voice under difficult circumstances. They had no work unions, because at the time women were usually exempt from these organization, so they had  no help in working for their cause. They eventually did create a trade union and an organization called "Workingmen's Parties" to help them fight to gain back their independence. The women were able to work together very well, because they were all fighting for the same cause. Being together all day in the mills and all night in the boarding houses helped them form strong friendships and gave them the ability to trust each other, which made the later strikes end in their favor.

All the mill overseers and owners were men, and in the early to mid-1800s they were considered to be far superior. It was a difficult task for the women to have themselves takes seriously and to have people listen to their ideas. During this time period, the general population was discovering that both men and women had their own roles to benefit society. Many of these beliefs were contradicted because it was widely thought that women, especially in the middle class should be working at home to maintain the house and family, and going to the factories and joining the working class was quite different for them. The women strongly thought that working in the mills was a way to show people that they could push the limits of how they were supposed to be living and how they were fighting to give other women more freedom and options for their lives.