The End of Empire

No discussion of the 19th Century is complete without Napoleon. We begin with Charles Phillips’ eulogy, summarizing the strangeness and contradiction of the most influential man of his time. Followed by 7 brief speeches by Napoleon himself. Two speeches chronicle the injustice and tyranny of British rule. Robert Emmet’s Speech From The Dock in 1803 is a classic of Irish Republicanism, given after sentence of death has been pronounced upon him for treason against the British. It is a speech intended for history, and sums up the fires that kept his homeland fighting for another century for their liberation. O’Connell’s Justice For Ireland, given 33 years later, shows that the passion that drove Emmett remained in the Irish heart, given in a more measured and technical tone, but driven by the same certainty that only with freedom could justice be found for the Irish people. Red Jacket’s speech contrasts the belief system of the Native Americans with that of the Christian invasion from Eur