Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte: An American Aristocrat in the Early Republic

by Charlene M. Boyer Lewis

Two centuries ago, Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte was one of the most famous women in America. Beautiful, scandalous, and outspoken, she had wed Napoleon's brother Jerome, borne his child, and seen the marriage annulled by the emperor himself. With her notorious behavior, dashing husband, and associations with European royalty, Elizabeth became one of America's first celebrities during a crucial moment in the nation's history. At the time of Elizabeth's fame, the United States had only recently gained its independence, and the character of American society and politics was not yet fully formed. Still concerned that their republican experiment might fail and that their society might become too much like that of monarchical Europe, many Americans feared the corrupting influence of European manners and ideas. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte's imperial connections and aristocratic aspirations made her a central figure in these debates, with many, including members of Congress and the social elites of the day, regarding her as a threat. Appraising Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte's many identities—celebrity, aristocrat, independent woman, mother—Charlene M. Boyer Lewis shows how Madame Bonaparte, as she was known, exercised extraordinary social power at the center of the changing transatlantic world. In spite of the assumed threat that she posed to the new social and political order, Americans could not help being captivated by Elizabeth's style, beauty, and wit. She offered an alternative to the republican wife by pursuing a life of aristocratic dreams in the United States and Europe. Her story reminds us of the fragility of the American experiment in its infancy and, equally important, of the active role of women in the debates over society and culture in the early republic.

Genres: History, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a meticulously researched book that unfortunately, due to the thematic (as opposed to chronological) nature of its narrative arrangement contained great stretches of repetition that made it tedious. It is not a lengthy book (less than 250 not including the notes) which makes this fault even more accentuated as a reader.

I was quite glad to already be very familiar with Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte's life, because if I was not I feel this book would have been incredibly disorienting. It utilizes her life as a means to explore experiences and expectations of womanhood in the early years of the American republic as opposed to being a straightforward biography. I point that out only so future readers can make an informed choice regarding what they want from a book on this topic.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book, I actually read this instead of audio. 2012. Rather than reading like a biography, it read like a college thesis. It takes a look at the pre women's movement as presented by Madame Bonaparte. She was independent, single mom who made really decent business decisions. People of her times were awed by her yet disapproving of her. Elizabeth found she was happiest in Paris, aristocratic and arts oriented and the privledged were recognized as that. In the newly established Republic of America, all those roles and distinctions were still being ironed out. She was bored in Baltimore. She was forever chasing the elusive title for herself and her Bonaparte son. She lived to 1879; she was 94 years old when she died, still in her French gowns and bonnets and jewels, reminiscing about what might have been. Times change. Women became the hearth of the home. Romantic love replaced marriage for financial gain and position. Child rearing and house keeping was the woman's work. When the French were adopting the same kind of practices and her friends were dying, she resigned that this world was not to her liking and all her work to not have it that way was ignored. She had been wronged all her life.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glad to learn of her life...but book is very repetitious. I found this annoying.