Joseph Bonaparte Makers of History — A Reader’s Guide

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Authors: Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot), 1805-1877 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2011 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, 1768-1844 Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 75,509

Reading time 329 min

Text sections 11

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #35768

Abbott's biography of Joseph Bonaparte draws on a ten-volume French memoir collection to trace Joseph's reluctant kingship, focusing on his correspondence with Napoleon and the political pressures of the Spanish throne.

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SCENES IN EARLY LIFE.

Corsica.--Parentage.--Birth of Joseph Bonaparte.--Journey to France.--Fraternal Attachment.--Character of Joseph.--Prince of Conde.--Anecdote.--Letter to Napoleon.--Return to Corsica.--Death of his Father.--Letitia.--Her Character.--Madame Permon.--Lucien. --Habits of Napoleon.--Studies of the Brothers.--Mirabeau.--Joseph studies Law.--Commences Practice.--Treatise of Napoleon.--Testimony of Joseph.--Ambition of Napoleon.--Foresight of Napoleon.--Constituent Assembly.--Gratitude of Napoleon.--Anecdote.--Tour in Corsica. --Characteristics.--Testimony of Louis Napoleon.--Death of Mirabeau. --French Revolution.--Anecdote.--The Emigrants.--The Republicans. --Paoli.--His Appreciation of Napoleon.--Corsican Peasantry.--Flight of the Bonapartes.--Their Arrival in France.

The island of Corsica, in the Mediterranean Sea, sixty miles from the coast of Tuscany, is about half as large as the State of Massachusetts. In the year 1767 this island was one of the provinces of Italy. There was then residing, in the small town of Corte, in Corsica, a young lawyer nineteen years of age. He was the descendant of an illustrious race, which could be traced back, through a succession of distinguished men, far into the dark ages. Charles Bonaparte, the young man of whom we speak, was tall, handsome, and possessed strong native powers of mind, which he had highly cultivated. In the same place there was a young lady, Letitia Raniolini, remarkable for her beauty and her accomplishments. She also was of an ancient family. When but sixteen years of age Letitia was married to Charles Bonaparte, then but nineteen years old.

About a year after their marriage, on the 7th of January, 1768, they welcomed their first-born child, Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte. In nineteen months after the birth of Joseph, his world-renowned brother Napoleon was born. But in the mean time the island had been transferred to France. Thus while Joseph was by birth an Italian, his brother Napoleon was a Frenchman.

Charles Bonaparte occupied high positions of trust and honor in the government of Corsica, and his family took rank with the most distinguished families in Italy and in France. Joseph passed the first twelve years of his life upon his native island. He was ever a boy of studious habits, and of singular amiability of character. When he was twelve years of age his father took him, with Napoleon and their elder sister Eliza, to France for their education. Leopold, the grand duke of Tuscany, gave Charles Bonaparte letters of introduction to Maria Antoinette, his sister, who was then the beautiful and admired Queen of France.

Leaving Joseph at the college of Autun, in Burgundy, the father continued his journey to Paris, with Napoleon and Eliza. Eliza was placed in the celebrated boarding-school of St. Cyr, in the metropolis, and Napoleon was taken to the military school at Brienne, a few miles out from the city. The father was received as a guest in the gorgeous palace of Versailles. Joseph and Napoleon were very strongly attached to each other, and this attachment continued unabated through life. When the two lads parted at Autun both were much affected. Joseph, subsequently speaking of it, says:

"I shall never forget the moment of our separation. My eyes were flooded with tears. Napoleon shed but one tear, which he in vain endeavored to conceal. The abbe Simon, who witnessed our adieus, said to me, after Napoleon's departure, 'He shed only one tear; but that one testified to as deep grief in parting from you as all of yours.'"

The two brothers kept up a very constant correspondence, informing each other minutely of their studies, and of the books in which they were interested. Joseph became one of the most distinguished scholars in the college of Autun, excelling in all the branches of polite literature. He was a very handsome young man, of polished manners, and of unblemished purity of life. His natural kindness of heart, combined with these attractions, rendered him a universal favorite.

Autun was in the province of Burgundy, of which the Prince of Conde, grandfather of the celebrated Duke d'Enghien, was governor. The prince attended an exhibition at the college, to assist in the distribution of the prizes. Joseph acquitted himself with so much honor as to attract the attention of the prince, and he inquired of him what profession he intended to pursue.

Joseph, in the following words, describes this eventful incident:

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Abbott opens his biography of Joseph Bonaparte by citing a ten-volume French work, Mémoires et Correspondance du Roi Joseph, as his primary source. He notes that this collection contains nearly all the correspondence between Joseph and Napoleon, from childhood to after Waterloo. The author’s method is to present events substantiated by documentary proof, letting the record speak for itself. The preface includes an anecdote about President Lincoln, who praised Abbott’s series for giving busy men concise historical knowledge. This framing suggests a narrative that prioritizes clarity and evidentiary grounding over dramatic interpretation.

A Reluctant King and the Weight of Correspondence

The excerpts reveal a narrative voice that frequently pauses to justify Joseph’s decisions. When Joseph accepts the Spanish crown, Abbott lists mitigating circumstances: the Spanish princes had already abdicated, a junta of notables entreated him, and the alternative seemed to be anarchy. The author’s phrasing—"Many have reproached Joseph for having accepted the crown. But it should be remembered…"—shows a defensive, almost legalistic tone. The text leans heavily on letters, such as Ferdinand’s congratulatory note, to demonstrate that Joseph’s accession was initially welcomed. Yet the pace shifts abruptly: after describing the constitution’s adoption and Joseph’s entry into Madrid, the narrative accelerates into a catalog of insurrections, with the number of insurgents rising from scattered bands to an estimated 150,000. This compression of time—from July 9 to July 20—creates a sense of swift disillusionment.

The Monks and the British: Opponents in Parallel

Abbott identifies two forces that thwarted Joseph: the fanatic monks and the British government. The monks, alarmed by reforms in Naples, roused the peasantry. The British, though at war with Spain as Napoleon’s ally, switched sides to support the insurgents. The author presents these as parallel pressures, but the language is notably restrained. He does not editorialize about the monks’ motives beyond noting their alarm; he simply states that they were "very active." The British intervention is described in a single sentence that lists fleet, army, and money. This economy of detail contrasts with the earlier, more elaborate descriptions of Joseph’s court and constitution. The shift in pace—from measured exposition to rapid enumeration—mirrors Joseph’s own loss of control. The reader is left with the impression of a king who, despite careful planning, is overwhelmed by forces he cannot manage.

Documentary Evidence as Narrative Engine

Abbott repeatedly interrupts his story to cite his sources. The preface explains that every historical statement is substantiated by "unequivocal documentary evidence." In the body, this manifests as inserted letters and official acts. For example, the text reproduces Ferdinand’s letter in full, with its formal salutations and oaths. The constitution’s acceptance is quoted verbatim, including the phrase "considering that we are convinced." These documents slow the narrative, but they also lend authority. The author’s voice becomes that of an editor presenting evidence. This technique is consistent with Abbott’s stated goal: to give busy readers accurate knowledge without requiring them to consult ponderous folios. The pace varies between dense documentary passages and swift summaries, reflecting the tension between the historian’s duty to present facts and the biographer’s need to maintain momentum.

Readers should note that Abbott’s biography is shaped by its source material: the ten-volume French memoir collection. The narrative’s pace shifts between documentary insertions and compressed summaries, reflecting the author’s effort to balance evidence with readability. Pay attention to how letters and official acts are used to justify Joseph’s actions, and how the text’s defensive tone reveals the controversial nature of its subject. The book is best approached as a condensed archive rather than a dramatic life story.

Reading Abbott’s portrait of Joseph Bonaparte, I kept thinking about how much of history is just people trying to do their best under impossible weight. There’s a quiet ache in those letters to Napoleon. It reminded me of flipping through The Spirit of 1906 — Inside the Classic last winter, that same sense of a world holding its breath on the edge of change. So much passed, so quietly.