Napoleon in America

WeisSaul

Banned
In OTL Napoleon tried to escape to America at one point. Let's suppose he was successful. How would he have fared and how much would he have risen politically.

Considering he was the man who sold the Americans louisianna, he couldn't have really been resented. Also Toussant liked Napoleon alot, and wanted to be just like him and serve him in OTL.
 
He would likely just be a local celebrity in whatever town in America he ends up living in. Asides from that, don't expect him to build Napoleonic Empire 2.0.
 

WeisSaul

Banned
Well Napoleon was the first charismatic dictator, so in a democratic system like the US, or a nation with a leader who adored him, Haiti, he could end up becoming a significant politician.

I'd think that he'd either relocate to New Orleans or Port-Au-Prince.

In Haiti I'd think he'd try to take over Santo Domingo, and perhaps the other French territories in the region.

In the US, if he were to learn English and become a politician, I'd think it'd be...Interesting. Naturalization laws would prevent him from ever being President without an amendment, but what kind of influential character could he possibly be?
 
The U.S. would gladly welcome Napoleon I as a Military leader (I seem to remember is grandson serving as a general during one of the WW's) but besides that he would probably be hated.

Louisianan purchase or not, he is an imperialist and America had just fought a war against imperialism and the people of America would just assume he would try to do the same to to us as he did to his own people.

And be sure of this, if Napoleon ever did become dictator of the US it would lead to the sure destruction and re-annexation of the US by great Britain and a coalition of allies (even tho back then Britain could do it itself) probably including France.
 
The United States of Ameriwank takes this idea to logical extremes.

Europe hates the US for harboring Napoleon, but they promise not to use him as a military commander.

So they send him to India to lead coalition forces against the Bharat horde. And he's wildly successful. :D
 
Instead of going to Rochefort, Napoleon travels south to Marseille, and manages to secure passage aboard a ship bound for the United States by disguising himself and bribing the captain to lie for him and say that he has been serving on the ship for decades. This allows him to escape detection by the British.

There's your PoD if it is plausible.

Another possibility is that Napoleon sees possibility in Mexico once the independence movement begins, and travels to Mexico to aid the revolutionaries in establishing a new government. Could we see Emperor Napoleon I of Mexico in the 1820's?
 
Instead of going to Rochefort, Napoleon travels south to Marseille, and manages to secure passage aboard a ship bound for the United States by disguising himself and bribing the captain to lie for him and say that he has been serving on the ship for decades. This allows him to escape detection by the British.

There's your PoD if it is plausible.

Another possibility is that Napoleon sees possibility in Mexico once the independence movement begins, and travels to Mexico to aid the revolutionaries in establishing a new government. Could we see Emperor Napoleon I of Mexico in the 1820's?

He can try but I can only see colossal failure for him.
 
In OTL Napoleon tried to escape to America at one point. Let's suppose he was successful. How would he have fared and how much would he have risen politically.

Considering he was the man who sold the Americans louisianna, he couldn't have really been resented. Also Toussant liked Napoleon alot, and wanted to be just like him and serve him in OTL.

Officially he would have been tolerated but would not have been welcome here in the USA. He would none the less draw crowds wherever he went, that is until the political pressure to arrest him or send him packing grew too intense. IMO. IF he escapes he would likely head for Central or South America as, given the regions' geo-political dynamics at the time, there's more room for him to do the things he does best.
 
but if he succeeds could we see Mexico win the Mexican-American War? And even keep Texas?

I think that a Napoleonic Empire in Mexico would be an interesting TL; (not Napoleon III)

You don't need a washed up Coriscan upstart who's tried and failed in subjugating Europe to make Mexico do all of that. I could recommend at least two timelines that have a more stronger, and stabler Mexico than without him running about.
 
Like WeisSaul said he would probably head to Santo Domingo, help them fight off the Haitian's and establish himself as emperor. That would be pretty interesting though.
 
Also Toussant liked Napoleon alot, and wanted to be just like him and serve him in OTL.

One minor problem: By the time Napoleon would be interested in fleeing to America, Toussaint was more than a decade in his grave, and the person responsible for his arrest and death in prison was, well, Napoleon. Under the circumstances, I doubt the Haitians would welcome Napoleon with open arms.

At the time we're talking about, Haiti was divided in two parts: the Kingdom of Haiti in the north, under King Henri Christophe, and the Republic of Haiti in the south, under Alexandre Pétion. Henri Cristophe was a former general of Toussaint's and a close ally of Britain, so the odds of him giving asylum to Napoleon are nil. Pétion was no great lover of Toussaint, and he was an internationalist who gave sanctuary to other revolutionary leaders such as Bolivar, but the Republic's 1806 constitution pretty much prohibited whites from becoming citizens, so at best Napoleon would be a guest (or maybe Pétion would send him to join Bolivar!)

And eastern Santo Domingo was still a Spanish colony at the time - the Haitian invasion didn't take place until 1822 - so Napoleon wouldn't find asylum there, nor would the Dominicans need him to help fight off Haiti.

I don't think Emperor of Hispaniola is in the cards.
 
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