16. This Breastplate is From the Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were the generation after the French Revolution, and they upended Europe with conflict and turmoil as Napoleon sought to extend his empire across the continent. This breastplate belonged to a 23-year-old soldier who fought in the wars. However, a cannonball struck him, which pierced the armor and ended his life. While we can read about the large-scale, historical impacts of the wars, this artifact reveals the brutality and inhumanity that people faced due to the conquests. They preserve the breastplate as a reminder of the horrors that people can inflict on each other.