Vanessa WoodThere’s something really quirky and enjoyable about finding someone I didn’t expect to find on an old record. It’s hard to believe, but Napoleon’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte actually lived in the US and his descendant, a US citizen by birth sat on an European throne. That’s right, Joseph Bonaparte of Bordentown, NJ was the brother of the short guy with one hand tucked into his shirt, the namesake of the Napoleon Complex, the self-proclaimed Emperor who went to war with Russia and was defeated by the British.
Napoleon who offered shared noble titles among family members, made his brother Joseph Bonaparte King of Naples and Sicily and King of Spain. When the French empire collapsed so did Joseph’s power, resulting in his abdication. France had been defeated by the British in 1813 which was the same time the British were waging the War of 1812 (1812-1815) in America, explaining perhaps why the American’s welcomed this Bonaparte into exile in their country. Americans had aligned with France during the Revolutionary War (remember General Lafayette?), so the connections with the French go back to the beginning of our country.
What makes this so quirky is thinking about all the contrasts. After the Revolutionary War America had rejected a monarchy and even having a President with absolute power. We had also declined to assist France during their revolution. Just look at the painting of Bonaparte draped in luxury holding a scepter, posed next to the throne and crown — a monarchist! What did his neighbors think? Did he walk around New Jersey dressed like that?
What was it like for a former king in America. He settled in New Jersey (the land of the Sopranos). Did the Americans call him “Joe?” Did he bring his court with him? He was enumerated on the 1830 census.1 There were no African-Americans in his household but they were counted in the surrounding homes. New Jersey has a curious history of slavery (keeping some slaves until 1865) but that’s a topic for another post.
In 2008 The New York Times reported of an archaeological dig at Bonaparte’s New Jersey estate (see article).
When my curiosity gets piqued I go searching. I wanted to know how he was accepted in the US and who were his buddies. I found a snippet of news in the February 6, 1818 Wilkes-Barre Gleaner.
Stupendous Reward. An article in the newspapers of the day, says the National Intelligencer, states that Joseph Bonapart has offered Two Millions of Dollars for the release of his brother from the island of St. Helena.
Had Bonaparte converted his wealth into American dollars? Was he trying to elicit American assistance to extract Napoleon Bonapart from the British on St. Helena?
Bonaparte wasn’t the only exile in America. An article in the November 24, 1981 Orlando Sentinel reported of a visit to the LeRay Mansion in Fort Drum, NY where the visitors were told that Joseph Bonaparte had been a frequent visitor with other French exiles.
Joseph Bonaparte left the US and returned to Europe. He died in Florence in 1844. On May 21, 1845 The Republican Farmer, and Democratic Journal reprinted an article from the US Gazette reporting that a younger Joseph Bonaparte had arrived in the US to take possession of the house “called Point Breeze, near Bordentown, devised to him by his grandfather.”
Charles, the price of Canino, married Joseph’s eldest daughter Terriade (sic), some time resident here, where their eldest son was born, who comes now, just twenty-one years of age, to take possession of the paternal American homestead. The numerous friends of his much respected grandfather will wish that he may succeed by similar deportment to render himself as welcome where we believe he means to reside.
Huh, a Bonapart who was born in America? Like his grandfather, Joseph also left New Jersey and returned to Europe.
FEATURED IMAGE: “Francois Gerard – Napoleon Ier en costume du Sacre.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Francois_Gerard_-_Napoleon_Ier_en_costume_du_Sacre.jpg). Licensing, author died in 1837, image in public domain.
11830 U.S. census, Burlington Co., N.J., pop. sch., Chesterfield Twp., p. 135, Joseph Bonepart [sic] household; image, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYK-34FZ); NARA microfilm M19, roll 80.