 There were frequent uprisings against the Nguyễns, with hundreds of such events being recorded in the annals.These acts were soon being used as excuses for France to invade Vietnam.The early Nguyễn dynasty had engaged in many of the constructive activities of its predecessors, building roads, digging canals, issuing a legal code, holding examinations, sponsoring care facilities for the sick, compiling maps and history books, and exerting influence over Cambodia and Laos.