Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was Emperor of the French from 18 May 1804 until his first abdication in 1814, with a brief restoration during the Hundred Days in 1815. He rose to prominence as a general during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe and the Middle East during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Common clothing colors

Common women’s clothing colors were mostly dark, with black, gray, and brown making up 45 percent of garments, while red accounted for 21 percent.

Cost of men's shoes

Men's shoes were considered expensive items, costing twice as much as those worn by women.

Decorating for the Fête-Dieu festival

During the annual Fête-Dieu celebration in Paris, residents decorated the streets by hanging various types of tapestries from their houses, sometimes as high as the second floor.

Cost of a village festival license

To host a village fair or festival, peasants applied for a license from the commandant that cost about one French crown.

Rapid descent by ramasse sled

When crossing the snowy Mount Cenis pass in the Alps, travelers could descend into Lanslebourg in just 15 minutes using a specialized sled called a ramasse.

Dangerous conditions on poorly maintained roads

Travelers in carriages sometimes had to pay local peasants to walk alongside and support the carriage to prevent it from tipping over on flooded or muddy roads. In severe weather, travelers were occasionally forced to wait for days in miserable inns until conditions improved.

Basic structure of rural peasant homes

Peasant homes were typically built of wattle and daub with thatched roofs, often consisting of a single room used for sleeping, working, and daily activities. Many rural homes had small windows without glass, and the floor was made of packed earth.

Demanding daily tasks for water and light

Domestic tasks like fetching water from fountains and managing oil lamps or candles for light were costly and physically demanding labor for all of society. Home access to abundant, affordable water and lighting did not occur until the 1950s.

Bread Was the Staff of Life

In 1775, a French laboring family of four typically consumed 1.2 tons of grain per year, with urban workers spending half their salary on bread.

Bread as the Daily Staple

Adult men were expected to consume between 4 and 5 livres of bread daily, making it the essential staple of their diet.

Cost of bread and meat

Bread was the essential staple, though its price fluctuated wildly; by the 1770s, it cost between 4 and 5 sols in the heart of the kingdom. Meat was expensive, with beef, mutton, or veal often costing 9 to 15 sols per pound.

Meat as a luxury item

Meat was considered a luxury product for workers; a master worker could afford 300 grams of meat per day, while in 1771 some bourgeois complained of meat prices rising to 12, 14, or 15 sous per pound.

Annual wages for servants

Servants were often paid annually, with a female servant receiving 24 to 33 livres plus small benefits, while a foreman might earn 84 to 90 livres.

Long hours and mixed payments

A daily working day lasted from 10 to 13 hours, with agricultural work often paid in a mix of money and goods, such as wooden shoes or cloth.

Faster and cheaper local mail delivery

Before the 1760s, recipients typically paid for postage upon arrival, but the introduction of Petites Postes in Paris and other cities offered faster, cheaper service and allowed senders to prepay. In Paris, these local services offered mail pickups as often as nine times a day.

Mail travel times between major cities

In the late 18th century, letters from Paris to major French cities typically took about one week to arrive. For instance, delivery from Paris to Bordeaux took five to six days, and to Lille about one week.