1804

1804 was a year marked by political consolidation in Europe and notable developments in the Atlantic world. It saw the formal codification of civil law in France, ongoing military campaigns, and significant explorations that would shape later settlement and geopolitics.

In France, the Napoleonic Code was enacted in 1804, providing a unified civil law framework that influenced many legal systems. Later that year, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French at Notre-Dame de Paris, symbolizing the transition from republic to empire and the expansion of centralized authority.

On January 1, 1804, Haiti declared independence from France, ending the Haitian Revolution. Jean-Jacques Dessalines became the first ruler of the independent state, the first Black republic, with a lasting impact on anti-colonial movements in the Caribbean and the Americas.

In North America, the Lewis and Clark Expedition began its journey from St. Louis on May 14, 1804, seeking a practical route to the Pacific and documenting biodiversity, Indigenous nations, and geography along the Missouri River.

Technological advances included the emergence of steam-powered rail transport. Richard Trevithick's Penydarren locomotive began hauling ore and carriages along a tramroad in Wales in 1804, marking a milestone in the development of railway engineering.

In music and culture, Ludwig van Beethoven began work on his Symphony No. 3, the Eroica, around 1803–1804. The work was initially dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, but the dedication was withdrawn after Napoleon declared himself Emperor in 1804.