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| 1850s |
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| Labor reforms. Napoleon III had courted the support of the working classes initially and even won the temporary support of socialist theorist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. However, in 1852, unions and strikes continued to be illegal. | 1 |
| Social assistance. Napoleon III favored private charity. As such, his family engaged in philanthropic activities including the provision of aid to expectant mothers. Empress Eugénie directed maternal charities. An unemployment bureau and rest homes for the elderly and infirm were established. However, Napoleon III concentrated his efforts on economic expansion, which he believed would improve the conditions of working classes. | 2 |
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| 1852 |
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| Railroads were organized and consolidated. The government granted railroad concessions between major cities including routes from Paris to Lyons, Dijon to Besançon, and Sète to Bordeaux. The state also provided funding for the railroads and guaranteed at least a 4 percent return on capital investment (1856–57). Railroad development boomed in 1853–56 and 1860–64. | 3 |
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| Feb. 17 |
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| Government control of the media was decreed. The press was required to register with the government and purchase stamps as well as pay a monthly deposit. The government could refuse to allow even the legal press to be sold on the public way and could suspend newspapers that offended it. | 4 |
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| Nov. 20 |
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| The Crédit Mobilier was founded under the direction of Émile and Isaac Pereire. The Crédit Mobilier avoided the problems of financing large projects characteristic of small family firms by combining money from numerous small investors. The bank also concentrated on investment banking rather than deposit accounts. | 5 |
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