"Napoleon’s view of slavery" Topic

"While Napoleon Bonaparte condemned the slave trade, he had no strong opposition to slavery. This makes it interesting to imagine how he might have reacted to the slavery he encounters in New Orleans and the other places he visits in my novel Napoleon in America.

During his first posting as an artillery officer with the La Fère regiment at Valence, Napoleon read one of the most powerful anti-slavery works of the period: the multi-volume Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements et du commerce des Européens dans les deux Indes by the Abbé Guillaume Raynal.

Like most of his European contemporaries, Napoleon was a racist. He referred to Bedouins, native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Africans as "savages" – a term he also applied to Cossacks. He treated the Saint-Domingue-born mixed-race general Alexandre Dumas (father and grandfather of the writers of the same name) with contempt. At the same time, he welcomed mixed-race men into his army in Egypt, and for the expedition to Saint-Domingue (Haiti)…"

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Armand

One location that he would have visited and recruited was the Alabama settlements populated with French Army veterans who had moved there to grow grapes. They were loyal supporters of Napoleon. The settled in the Demopolis and Marengo county areas.

He referred to Bedouins, native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Africans as "savages" – a term he also applied to Cossacks.

Wouldn't that be an accurate description? Savage is defined as 'not civilized, barbaric'.

Napoleon didn't treat his own troops well – many starved, died of disease or exhaustion without getting near a battlefield. I think he treated most of them as disposable resources in practice. The losses in men on campaign outside battle were staggering.

Covered recently in one of the Napoleonic Wars podcasts

"Like most of his European contemporaries, Napoleon was a racist."
Thank goodness there was no racism outside Europe. It's a pity so many 'historians' have absolutely no concept of history.

"Wouldn't that be an accurate description? Savage is defined as 'not civilized, barbaric'."

That would depend how you define "not civilized", or "barbaric". Some Napoleonic generals had pretty similar views of European soldiers – "scum of the Earth" anyone? Meanwhile, living in simpler societies, without the 'benefit' of aristocratic airs and graces, access to Mozart symphonies and the balls that appear in Jane Austen does not necessarily equate to 'savage' or 'barbaric'. Were all Pacific people 'savages', just because the term was used to describe them by James Cook and others? Were Bedouin 'barbaric' or simply nomadic? Were Africans 'not civilized'? They have, arguably, the oldest functioning university on the planet.

More significantly, Napoleon reintroduced slavery in the French colonies after it had been outlawed by the revolutionary government. That probably says as much as needs saying . . .

Cheers,
John

Try looking at racism as the continuation of the natural order at the time. There were "Divine Kings", nobles, merchant class, peasants etc and mobility between the classes was limited. It seems only natural that other groups would be fit into the existing class structure at the most convenient space (the bottom).
Perhaps scholars who have studied the era can tell us just how far a peasant or serf was from a slave.
It wasn't until the 18th century (IIRC) that the idea that all men were created equal came into being. Coupled with the rise in education that is the catalyst that eventually brought the downfall of slavery in the west.

….."scum of the Earth" anyone?

In fairness to the Duke, he was speaking about SOME of the low-lifes that were either forced into the Army or whom the Army was forced to take. His next words were, IIRC, "But it is really wonderful that we should have made them the fine fellows that they are!"

Africans were still eating each other at this point so I'm going with 'not civilized'.

"Africans were still eating each other" is a huge and sweeping generalisation. "Africa is not a country."

Europeans were practicing "medicinal cannibalism" from at least the 16th century through to the early 20th (so also "at this point – 18th -19th centuries) – eg amongst other activities, grinding up mummies and consuming them as medicines – so I guess if we're all doing it then "civilized" and "not civilized" lose any meaning.

Cheers,
John

Thanks

Armand