EUROPEAN HISTORY NOTES FROM OREGON HISTORIAN

European history notes from an Oregon historian?

Is this a guest blog post from someone new?

Good one. No.

I’m a history major with a focus on Oregon history along with two decades of history with the Oregon Historical Society.

Ask me about material identification. It’s wood, metal, or stone. Or plastic.

Ask me about cultural identification. I’ve been an expert since I took a high school cultural exchange trip. Instead of Japan, South Africa, or New Zealand trips like other classmates, I went to Iowa to sharpen up.

It gives me a good lens to understand European history.

How tall was Napoleon? Not 5’2″. The height legend started with the size of the ‘French foot’ versus the ‘English foot.’

That sounds like trying to make a good cash exchange between euros, pounds, and dollars.

The consensus in Paris was Napoleon was 5’7″, but looked smaller in paintings because he liked to be surrounded by big guys.

Okay so far?

Napoleon has a tremendous tomb in Paris, like a church. His brother created it. It’s fitting for the conqueror of Europe? Maybe. It’s a great landmark.

I had to give it up for Napoleon’s tomb. It’s a stunner.

European History From The Crypt

Over in London I visited St. Paul’s. To my shock and surprise I found two tombs, the remains of the two English officers who took Napoleon down.

The first was Admiral Horatio Nelson of Trafalgar, situated under the center of the dome on a high platform. No gold, no frills, just a nice crypt space separated from the first floor by an open design circular metal cover over a vent hole.

Nelson didn’t end Napoleon, but France didn’t have the same navy afterward.

Who did end Napoleon was entombed not far away. The Duke of Wellington, the commander of Waterloo, is on a similar platform. No gold, nothing fancy.

Which, in this European history note pad, leaves a little to be desired if you don’t include Trafalgar Square.

(During Evensong in St. Paul’s tonight a storm dumped too much water on the dome and it leaked. It leaked straight down on the large decorated vent hole over Admiral Nelson. The old sailor got a little spray in his sails one more time.)