If not for Napoleon, America would be speaking French today (and so does the rest of the world)

If there is one person whom the French people should admire and hate most, it would be Napoleon.

Sure, he was credited for the French revolution. And he is probably the most famous French person ever lived (ask any random Pakistanis or Russians or Mexicans down the street for any French names they know, and it would be more likely for them to mention Napoleon instead of Sarkozy or Victor Hugo).

Despite all the fame and glory he had had in his life, Napoleon should also take the blame for the current linguistic ranks of the world, which places the importance of English, Spanish, Mandarin and Hindi at the top four, while French should be content with gaining the No.5 spot.

Napoleon was the main culprit who caused a large drain in the French coffers while he ruled, hence the Louisiana Purchase, a negotiation between the French and the English government to exchange a large chunk of what is now USA....with an equally enticing large sum of cash.

Really, USA should have been a largely French colonial (with the original French colonies extending from the current state of Louisiana to the Midwestern states such as Montana and Utah)....if not for Napoleon who sold it to the English.

The result as we can see today, Americans speak English because they inherit it from the Britons.

As simple as that.

The Article of Confederation might have been written in English, but if history had been different, it is more likely that the No.1 language in America today would be French, while English nestles as the main language in the Eastern states such as Virginia or Boston (which have never been parts of French territories anyways).