How much French history do you know?
More than you think.
After which king was the Louisiana territory named?
LOUIS XIV…The castle king
Across the world, Louis XIV was known for the frivolous spendings of the country’s funds on castle construction and jubilant parties for the fortunate few allowed in the king’s vicinity: ‘The Court’. Aside from the Renaissance architecture, it is his broad range of passions for the Sciences, Discoveries, and the Arts, that have left a fervent print in today’s world.
As explorer Rene Robert Cavelier sailed the river claiming ownership on both sides of the Mississipi “as far as the eye can see“, he named the vast territory Louisiana in honor of his beloved king, Louis XIV.
Fun Fact
Louis XIV held the longest reign in the history of France: 72 years! When he died, his great-grand son became king: Louis XV.
Louis XV…The king who led his country to the Revolution
The significance of his historical legacy was first smothered by his family. Louis XV had the misfortune of finding himself between two giants of history: his famed great-grand father, Louis XIV, and his grand-son -Louis XVI.
The charming nickname of the “well-beloved” king acquired in his youth will progressively evaporate in the mind of the people, as the young timid and taciturn monarch continues to drain the state’s coffers through immense spending, often to the benefit of his plethora of mistresses. His failure to develop trading partnership following costly wars will later earn him the “UN-beloved” label among his people. Poor judgment and lack of firm diplomatic decisions on his part will result in the loss of a great part of France’s colonial empire – in India and America – to her favorite enemy. England.
Though he survived a stabbing attack from a member of parliament, the growing tension brewing after 50 years of disregard for his hungry populace will set the grounds for an inevitable revolution.
Louis XV, a man who loved women too much, may have been the least popular of all kings of France.
Fun Fact
To replenish his youth and serve his sexual appetite, a rumor grew that the king may have kidnapped young boys to bathe in their blood, as did Herod, king of Judea 1800 years before him.
Louis XVI…The king who bankrupted France for America
Most people will remember him as the king who lost his head on the guillotine at the dawn of the French Revolution. It is time America replaces this unjust headline with a more dignified one to recognize that without the support of Louis XVI, the United States of America most likely would not have formed. How’s that for a title?
That’s right. The considerable aid France provided the American colonies allowed the poorly-equipped Continental militia of Georges Washington to organize into a significant military force fueled with engineers, armament, and 600 million pounds of gold.
The fact that Louis XVI restored the People’s Parliament to give a voice to his people is testament he, unlike his predecessors,respected the opinion of the people. however, some believe the power it gave the people at the time may have fueled the boiling idea of the French Revolution.
It must be noted that when Louis XVI became monarch, he inherited an unmanageable economic crisis engendered by the lavish lifestyle, debauchery, and expensive wars for power both his great grand father and the Sun king left behind.
With the whirlwind of revolution already in motion, the hungry and angry revolutionaries had little care who bore responsibility for their trouble. They wanted to brandish the head of a king on a stick. Any king.
The guilty kings being dead, they took the head of the last Louis.
Fun Fact
Louis XVI ordered the development and testing
of the very first steam boat on the Seine river.
Fun Fact
Public executions saw people quartered in pieces by horses until Louis XVI approved a less barbaric end of life by adopting a Senator’s idea that bore his name: the guillotine, which ironically proved its efficiency on the king’s head…
Napoleon I…The man of the past who modernized our present
Why Napoleon ‘one’ ? Simple. There were two more who followed; but the first Napoleon was the most significant. He is known for his military genius, crowning himself Emperor of France, a defeat at Waterloo, and a deceptive exile to Saint Helena island. But what did he do in between…
The Civil Code (Napoleonic Code) was written and implemented by Napoleon stating that laws must be based on common sense and equality, regardless of the leader or monarch. This code was adopted by many nations and entered into force in the following years and continues, to this day, to be one of the most influential document in the world, including in the United States’ Constitution.
Unlike his predecessors, Napoleon’s main vision remained mostly within the borders of the European continent.
Fun Fact
Napoleon invented the Metric System and imposed the use of family surnames and record keeping of birth dates.
He would also wander the streets disguised as a low-class bourgeois to survey how the people viewed their Emperor.
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