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.
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