Voltaire once stated, in France the traveler changed the laws as often as he changed the horses. Before the revolution, France enforced multiple laws, and each region even used its own customs to govern. The North and the South represented the greatest divide, the northern region of France practiced customary law, while the South practiced Roman law. The division of laws within the regions and across the French state caused unrest and friction when issues were brought before each region. France desired reform, arguing that “the law was so confusing that no one, not even the judges, were able to understand it with certainty and, therefore, the people were at the mercy of the courts.” Napoleon sought to resolve the division and unify France through the civil code and to establish a law under which individuals have legal rights and protection. Through the Civil Code, all regions and territories under French rule were governed according to its law, thus eliminating friction between the