Presidents and Monarchs: James Monroe and Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and who led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. He was the de facto leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, and later crowned himself Emperor of France, taking the name Napoleon I. He ruled in that capacity as Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814 and again in 1815.
James Monroe had served in the Revolutionary War under George Washington and was wounded at the Battle of Trenton. When Washington became President, he despised the idea of political parties, though he tended to side more with Alexander Hamilton's Federalists than with Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans. In 1794, in order to appease the Jeffersonians in Congress, Washington appointed Monroe as American minister (ambassador) to France. Monroe arrived in Paris just after the end of the Reign of Terror. He tried to assure the French government of American neutrality in the war between France and Britain. Monroe enrolled his daughter Eliza in the elite Parisian boarding school run by Madame Campan. It was there that Eliza became a friend of Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Napoleon’s first wife Josephine. Napoleon’s sister Caroline was also a student at the school.
Monroe was recalled as minister by Washington, who was displeased with Monroe's support of France at a time when he was trying to steer a course of neutrality. Monroe returned to France in 1803, when his mentor, President Thomas Jefferson, appointed him a special envoy to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans. Monroe and the American minister to France, Robert R. Livingston, succeeded in buying all of the Louisiana Territory. It was during this time that Monroe met Napoleon. On May 1, 1803, the day after signing the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, Monroe was presented to First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and he recorded the meeting in his autobiography. According to Monroe, Napoleon asked a lot of questions. Monroe wrote:
When the Consul came round to me, Mr. Livingston presented me to him, on which the Consul observed that he was glad to see me. ‘You have been here 15 days?’ I told him I had. ‘You speak French?’ I replied ‘A little.’ ‘You had a good voyage?’ Yes. ‘You came in a frigate?’ No in a merchant vessel charged for the purpose. Col. Mercer was presented; says he ‘He is Secretary of legation?’ No but my friend. He then made enquiries of Mr. Livingston & his secretary how their families were, and then turned to Mr. Livingston & myself & observed that our affairs should be settled.
We dined with him. After dinner when we retired into the saloon, the first Consul came up to me and asked whether the federal city grew much. I told him it did. ‘How many inhabitants has it?’ It is just commencing, there are two cities near it, one above, the other below, on the great river Potomack, which two cities if counted with the federal city would make a respectable town, in itself it contains only two or three thousand inhabitants. ‘Well; Mr. Jefferson, how old is he?’ About sixty. ‘Is he married or single?’ He is not married. ‘Then he is a [boy].’ No he is a widower. ‘Has he children?’ Yes two daughters who are married. ‘Does he reside always at the federal city?’ Generally. ‘Are the public buildings there commodious, those for the Congress and President especially?’ They are. ‘You the Americans did brilliant things in your war with England, you will do the same again.’ We shall, I am persuaded, always behave well when it shall be our lot to be in war. ‘You may probably be in war with them again.’ I replied I did not know, that that was an important question to decide when there would be an occasion for it.
Monroe met with Napoleon again on June 24, before leaving Paris to take an appointment as American minister to Great Britain. Once again Monroe recorded the meeting in his diary. According to Monroe, Napoleon asked:
‘You are about going to London?’ I told him I had lately received the orders of the President, in case our affairs here were amicably adjusted, to repair to London – that the resignation of our Minister there, & there being no one charged with our affairs made it necessary that I should go immediately that I was ordered before my departure to call & assure him of the respect & esteem which the President & United States entertained for him & the French nation, & of his earnest desire to preserve peace & friendship with them.
He said that no one wished more than him the preservation of a good understanding &c that the cession he had made was not so much on account of the price given, as motives of policy &c. He wished friendship between the Republics. That he regarded the President as a virtuous enlightened man, a friend of liberty and equality &c. That we must not give our flag to the British.
Monroe had one further encounter with Napoleon, though the two did not speak directly On December 2, 1804, passed through Paris on his way to Spain. Monroe and his wife Elizabeth attended Napoleon’s coronation at Notre Dame Cathedral. By then Napoleon's relations with the United States had become colder because of differences over the Spanish Floridas. At first the Monroes’ names were taken off of the invitation list for the coronation. When Monroe protested, two invitations arrived placing them in the gallery, out of the Emperor's sight and not on par with the seating of other foreign ministers.
In 1811, Monroe became Secretary of State under President James Madison. America’s relations with both Britain and France were strained because both of these warring European nations were seizing neutral American ships and their cargoes. In 1809, Monroe had written to Jefferson in which he stated:
Both wish our overthrow or at least that of our free system of government. From Bonaparte himself I have recd. much kindness & attention of which proofs have been afforded by his notice of me to others since I left the country. For the nation I have high consideration & respect & for many friends there the sincerest regard. But these circumstances will not blind me to the dangers, or make me insensible to what I owe my country.
Three years later, in 1814, Monroe and Madison were pleased to learn of Napoleon’s abdication. Monroe wrote:
It is utterly repugnant to the interests of the United States that France should acquire the preponderance over the powers of the continent to which the emperor of France evidently aspired. The danger to which we have alluded is now at an end. Another object, connected with the future fortune of France claims attention. To what precise limits she ought to be reduced is a question in which we take no part. We will express our wish only that she may not be reduced (an event we deem altogether improbable) below the condition of a great nation.
When news of Napoleon’s return to France from Elba reached Washington, Monroe was quite concerned and urged Madison to delay reductions in the army and call a special session of Congress. Madison thought that such action was premature, and both men were relieved when Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.
James Monroe had served in the Revolutionary War under George Washington and was wounded at the Battle of Trenton. When Washington became President, he despised the idea of political parties, though he tended to side more with Alexander Hamilton's Federalists than with Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans. In 1794, in order to appease the Jeffersonians in Congress, Washington appointed Monroe as American minister (ambassador) to France. Monroe arrived in Paris just after the end of the Reign of Terror. He tried to assure the French government of American neutrality in the war between France and Britain. Monroe enrolled his daughter Eliza in the elite Parisian boarding school run by Madame Campan. It was there that Eliza became a friend of Hortense de Beauharnais, the daughter of Napoleon’s first wife Josephine. Napoleon’s sister Caroline was also a student at the school.
Monroe was recalled as minister by Washington, who was displeased with Monroe's support of France at a time when he was trying to steer a course of neutrality. Monroe returned to France in 1803, when his mentor, President Thomas Jefferson, appointed him a special envoy to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans. Monroe and the American minister to France, Robert R. Livingston, succeeded in buying all of the Louisiana Territory. It was during this time that Monroe met Napoleon. On May 1, 1803, the day after signing the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, Monroe was presented to First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and he recorded the meeting in his autobiography. According to Monroe, Napoleon asked a lot of questions. Monroe wrote:
When the Consul came round to me, Mr. Livingston presented me to him, on which the Consul observed that he was glad to see me. ‘You have been here 15 days?’ I told him I had. ‘You speak French?’ I replied ‘A little.’ ‘You had a good voyage?’ Yes. ‘You came in a frigate?’ No in a merchant vessel charged for the purpose. Col. Mercer was presented; says he ‘He is Secretary of legation?’ No but my friend. He then made enquiries of Mr. Livingston & his secretary how their families were, and then turned to Mr. Livingston & myself & observed that our affairs should be settled.
We dined with him. After dinner when we retired into the saloon, the first Consul came up to me and asked whether the federal city grew much. I told him it did. ‘How many inhabitants has it?’ It is just commencing, there are two cities near it, one above, the other below, on the great river Potomack, which two cities if counted with the federal city would make a respectable town, in itself it contains only two or three thousand inhabitants. ‘Well; Mr. Jefferson, how old is he?’ About sixty. ‘Is he married or single?’ He is not married. ‘Then he is a [boy].’ No he is a widower. ‘Has he children?’ Yes two daughters who are married. ‘Does he reside always at the federal city?’ Generally. ‘Are the public buildings there commodious, those for the Congress and President especially?’ They are. ‘You the Americans did brilliant things in your war with England, you will do the same again.’ We shall, I am persuaded, always behave well when it shall be our lot to be in war. ‘You may probably be in war with them again.’ I replied I did not know, that that was an important question to decide when there would be an occasion for it.
Monroe met with Napoleon again on June 24, before leaving Paris to take an appointment as American minister to Great Britain. Once again Monroe recorded the meeting in his diary. According to Monroe, Napoleon asked:
‘You are about going to London?’ I told him I had lately received the orders of the President, in case our affairs here were amicably adjusted, to repair to London – that the resignation of our Minister there, & there being no one charged with our affairs made it necessary that I should go immediately that I was ordered before my departure to call & assure him of the respect & esteem which the President & United States entertained for him & the French nation, & of his earnest desire to preserve peace & friendship with them.
He said that no one wished more than him the preservation of a good understanding &c that the cession he had made was not so much on account of the price given, as motives of policy &c. He wished friendship between the Republics. That he regarded the President as a virtuous enlightened man, a friend of liberty and equality &c. That we must not give our flag to the British.
Monroe had one further encounter with Napoleon, though the two did not speak directly On December 2, 1804, passed through Paris on his way to Spain. Monroe and his wife Elizabeth attended Napoleon’s coronation at Notre Dame Cathedral. By then Napoleon's relations with the United States had become colder because of differences over the Spanish Floridas. At first the Monroes’ names were taken off of the invitation list for the coronation. When Monroe protested, two invitations arrived placing them in the gallery, out of the Emperor's sight and not on par with the seating of other foreign ministers.
In 1811, Monroe became Secretary of State under President James Madison. America’s relations with both Britain and France were strained because both of these warring European nations were seizing neutral American ships and their cargoes. In 1809, Monroe had written to Jefferson in which he stated:
Both wish our overthrow or at least that of our free system of government. From Bonaparte himself I have recd. much kindness & attention of which proofs have been afforded by his notice of me to others since I left the country. For the nation I have high consideration & respect & for many friends there the sincerest regard. But these circumstances will not blind me to the dangers, or make me insensible to what I owe my country.
Three years later, in 1814, Monroe and Madison were pleased to learn of Napoleon’s abdication. Monroe wrote:
It is utterly repugnant to the interests of the United States that France should acquire the preponderance over the powers of the continent to which the emperor of France evidently aspired. The danger to which we have alluded is now at an end. Another object, connected with the future fortune of France claims attention. To what precise limits she ought to be reduced is a question in which we take no part. We will express our wish only that she may not be reduced (an event we deem altogether improbable) below the condition of a great nation.
When news of Napoleon’s return to France from Elba reached Washington, Monroe was quite concerned and urged Madison to delay reductions in the army and call a special session of Congress. Madison thought that such action was premature, and both men were relieved when Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.