Scope and Content
Biography
Preferred Citation:
Provenance
Publication Rights
Access Restrictions
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Prince Achille Murat Papers
Creator:
Murat, Achille
Identifier/Call Number: M0079
Identifier/Call Number: 301
Physical Description:
3.5 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1809-1845
Scope and Content
Primarily letters from various members of the Murat and Bonaparte families to Murat. Includes correspondence regarding Murat's
attempt to organize a Belgium Foreign Legion in the 1830's; manuscripts of his writings on politics, slavery, economics, and
literature; and family legal papers. The letters are in French, English, and Italian. Napoleon is not represented.
Biography
Achille Murat, son of Caroline Bonaparte and Joachim Murat (King of Naples, 1808-1815), grew up in Paris and Naples as heir
presumptive to his father's titles. After the fall of Napoleon he lived in exile with his mother, brother Lucien, and sisters
Letizia and Louise at Frohscorf Castle in Austria. Upon reaching his majority he petitioned for a passport to America. In
1823, he arrived in New York where news of a Spanish liberal revolution reached him. He decided to violate his promise never
to return to Europe and sailed for Gibraltar, but he arrived too late. Upon his return to New York, he took out American citizenship
papers and married a great-grand-niece of Washington, Catherine Willis Gray. He lived in Florida and for a time in New Orleans
engaged in farming and various highly speculative business ventures. In the revolutionary 1830s he returned to Europe to become
head of the Foreign Legion of the new Kingdom of Belgium, hoping for a "call from Italy" which never came. Back in America
he published a book on the United States which failed to catch the public fancy. Murat was a staunch supporter of slavery
though he professed to fight for the liberation of man. He was engaged in continuous litigation with the French Government
for the Murat properties seized in 1815. He also tried to compel his uncle Joseph (Napoleon's elder brother) to give an accounting
of funds the Emperor had given him to us "as I would use it."
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item] Prince Achille Murat Papers, M0079, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
Provenance
Gift of Homer Spence, 1947-1951.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Access Restrictions
None.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Italy
France.
Bonaparte family
Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Y
Murat family
Murat, Achille