HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Barthélemy de Laffemas was an
economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
, born in
Beausemblant Beausemblant (; ) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other deri ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in 1545. He is officially recorded as dying in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in 1612. However, it is rumoured that he actually died on September 23, 1611, after falling from his horse. He is known as the first person to write about
underconsumption Underconsumption is a theory in economics that recessions and stagnation arise from an inadequate consumer demand, relative to the amount produced. In other words, there is a problem of overproduction and overinvestment during a demand crisis. The ...


Biography


Beginnings

Coming from the gentry
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, poor, he worked and became a tailor. He left the Dauphiné and went to Navarre. There he met Henry of Navarre, the future
Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...
. Then, in 1576, he became a "silver merchant" for the king. In 1579, the king owes his supplier 483 491 pounds. He had to borrow the money for his business, paid in annuities. In a memoir, Laffemas wrote that he lifted "..the silverware shop of the king, and borrowed over two hundred thousand crowns ...". These annuities are not as good and he was pursued by the creditors, and imprisoned for debt. When Henry of Navarre became King of France he was freed.


General of Trade

In 1596, in his "memory to draw Manufactures and works of the kingdom", it proposes to extend the
guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
and develop the chambers of trade. He also advises to reduce imports and develop royal factories, supported by the state. Henry partly supports this program. In 1598 Laffemas continued writing his ideas on trade and manufacture. Writing his ideas may have been required to receive support from Henry IV. They acted as a balance to those of Sully, more interested in agriculture. In the same year Laffemas published ''Les Trésors et richesses pour mettre l'Estat en splendeur'', which blasted those who frowned on French silks because the industry created employment for the poor. This is the first known mention of Underconsumption Theory, which is later refined by
John Maynard Keynes John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist and philosopher whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originall ...
.


New letters

New letters patent of July 20, 1602 ordered the Commission to assemble regularly to attend to the execution of previous orders required by the body and communities of merchants. He received the king, 15 November 1602. He advocated the
mercantilism Mercantilism is a economic nationalism, nationalist economic policy that is designed to maximize the exports and minimize the imports of an economy. It seeks to maximize the accumulation of resources within the country and use those resources ...
and encouraged the development of trade and
manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
, differing in this from the Minister Sully, which emphasized the
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
. He had a great influence in the areas of labor, economic and social organization and a leading role in the history of silk in Europe. The committee concludes its meetings on October 22, 1604. The political economy project of
Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...
based on the spread of plantations and silk industry followed Laffemas's advice. He was helped by the Protestant agronomist
Olivier de Serres Olivier de Serres (; 1539–1619) was a French author and soil scientist whose '' Théâtre d'Agriculture'' (1600) was the accepted textbook of French agriculture in the 17th century. Biography Serres was born in 1539 at Villeneuve-de-Berg, A ...
, a Protestant figure and author of a famous thesis on "The collection of Silk". He also got help from François Traucat, a native gardener of Nîmes. Traucat was the originator of the intensive mulberry plantations in the South of France, he planted four million in mulberry bushes in
Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
and
Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (, , ; ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately . History ...
. In 1602, a Royal Decision requires every parish in the country to own a mulberry bush nursery and
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
. In Paris, the Gobelins manufactory is created and the Bois de Boulogne a silkworm is built surrounded by 15,000 mulberry trees. This is also the time when the first river navigation channel is dug, the Briare Canal, while the Dutch capital is put to use to dry part of the
Marais Poitevin The Marais Poitevin () or Poitevin Marsh is a large area of marshland in the former province of Poitou in western France. It is a remnant of what was the former . The western zone near the sea (about two-thirds of the area) is called the "dry ...
, using as at the Flemish engineers refugee brand new
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, first Protestant republic in Europe. For domestic trade, Barthélemy de Laffemas emphasizes the rehabilitation and development of roads and bridges, waterways, creating service letter post. For foreign trade, source of wealth, it grows to transit trade and warehousing, trade with the Levant, the colonial trade with the creation of large French East India Company and Western. With the end of the Royal Commission in 1604, implementation of manufacturing projects will also stop at the image of that which was to be built north of the Place Royale, in Paris. In 1608, Barthélemy de Laffemas complains in a treaty that his advice was ignored. The development of silk manufactures stopped and France resumed imports.


Nobility

In the marriage contract of his son, passed November 10, 1608, BARTHELMY is called noble. It is not known how Barthélemy became noble because it is unclear whether his father, Isaac, was. The ennoblement Barthélemy had to be acquired in return for his services.


Publications

Laffemas had a large number of publications about his ideas on trade and enriching the kingdom.


French publications

* ''Source de plusieurs abus et monopoles qui se sont glissez et coulez sur le peuple de France, depuis trente ans ou environ, à la ruyne de l'Estat, dont il se trouve moyen par un règlement général d'empescher à l'advenir tel abus, présenté au Roy et à nosseigneurs de l'assemblée'' (1596) * ''Reiglement général pour dresser les manufactures en ce royaume et couper le cours des draps de soye et autres marchandises qui perdent et ruynent l'État. Avec l'extraict de l'advis que MM. de l'Assemblée tenue à Rouen ont baillé à S. M., que l'entrée de toutes sortes de marchandises de soye et laines manufacturées hors ce royaume, soient deffendues en iceluy. Ensemble le moyen de faire les soyes par toute la France'' (1597) * ''Responce à messieurs de Lyon, lesquels veulent empescher, rompre le cours des marchandises d'Italie, avec le préjudice de leurs foires, et l'abus aux changes'' (1598) * ''Les Trésors et richesses pour mettre l'Estat en splendeur et monstrer au vray la ruine des François par le trafic et négoce des estrangers'' (1598) * ''Advertissement et responce aux marchands et autres, où il est touché des changes, banquiers et banqueroutiers'' (1600) * ''Advis et remonstrance à MM. les commissaires députez du Roy au faict du commerce, avec les moyens de soulager le peuple des tailles, et autre bien nécessaire pour la police de ce royaume'' (1600) * ''L'Incrédulité ou l'ignorance de ceux qui ne veulent cognoistre le bien et repos de l'Estat et veoir renaistre la vie heureuse des François. Ce discours contient cinq petits traictez'' (1600). Contient : ''Le Cinquiesme traité du commerce parlant des procez et chiquaneries et voir l'honneur que l'on doit porter aux juges de la justice, avec la faute et la création de celle des consuls, et autres telles préjudiciables au public. Second traité : Advertissement et responce aux marchands et autres, où il est touché des changes, banquiers et banqueroutiers. Troisiesme traité : Les moyens de chasser la gueuserye, contraindre les fainéants, faire et employer les pauvres'' * ''La Commission, édit et partie des mémoires de l'ordre et établissement du commerce général des manufactures en ce royaume, proposés par Barthélemy de Laffemas'' (1601) * ''Les Discours d'une liberté générale et vie heureuse pour le bien du peuple'' (160
Gallica
* ''VIIe traicté du commerce, de la vie du loyal marchand, avec la commission du Roy, et bien qu'il faict aux peuples et royaumes'' (1601) * ''Neuf advertissements pour servir à l'utilité publicque, advenus sur le bonheur de la naissance de Mgr le Daulphin, assavoir est, d'un bon et rare ouvrier françois : faire fil d'or au tiltre de Milan; faire croistre le ris en France; bluter les farines par des enfants; faire fromage à la vraye mode de Milan; faire croistre esperges grosses de deux poulces, et longues d'un pied; comme les estrangers possèdent la navigation de la mer et les richesses des foires; certain advis de fabriquer toutes étoffes en France; le désordre des monnoyes'' (1601) * ''Remonstrance au peuple suivant les édicts et ordonnances des roys, à cause du luxe et superfluité des soyes, clinquants en habits, ruine générale'' (1601) * ''Remonstrances politiques sur l'abus des charlatans, pipeurs et enchanteurs'' (1601
Text online
* ''Comme l'on doibt permettre la liberté du transport de l'or et de l'argent hors du royaume et par tel moyen conserver le nostre, et attirer celuy des estrangers. Avec le moyen infaillible de faire continuellement travailler les monnoyes de ce royaume, qui demeurent inutilles'' (1602) * ''Le Tesmoignage certain du profict et revenu des soyes de France, par preuves certifiées du païs de Languedoc'' (1602) * ''Lettres et exemples de feu la Royne mère, comme elle faisoit travailler aux manufactures, et fournissoit aux ouvriers de ses propres deniers. Avec la preuve certaine de faire les soyes en ce royaume pour la provision d'iceluy et, en peu d'années, en fournir aux estrangers'' (1602) * ''Le Mérite du travail et labeur, dédié aux chefs de la police'' (1602) * ''Le Plaisir de la noblesse et autres qui ont des éritages aux champs, sur la preuve certaine et profict des estauffes et soyes qui se font à Paris'' (1603) * ''La Façon de faire et semer la graine de meuriers, les eslever en pepinieres, & les replanter aux champs : gouverner & nourrir les vers à soye au Climat de la France, plus facilement que par les memoires de tous ceux qui en ont escript'' (1604) * ''Le Naturel et profit admirable du meurier'' (1604) * ''La Ruine et disette d'argent, qu'ont apporté les draps de soyes en France, avec des raisons que n'ont jamais cogneu les François, pour y remédier'' (1608) * ''Advertissement sur les divers crimes des banqueroutiers. Suivant les édits et ordonnances des rois de France'' (1609) * ''Recueil présenté au Roy, de ce qui se passe en l'Assemblée du commerce, au Palais à Paris'' (1604) * ''Advis sur l'usage des passements d'or et d'argent'' (1610)


Published after death

*''Le Terme de Pasques sans trébuchet, en vers burlesque'' (1649)


Updated publications

* ''Mémoires sur le commerce'', texte établi par Éric de Brissac, Paleo, Clermont-Ferrand, 2003


References


External links


Barthélemy de Laffemas: The First Major French Mercantilist (mises.org)


French


Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac, ''unpublished handwritten historical documents from the collections of the National Library and archives or library departments,'' Volume 4, Firmin Didot Frères, Paris, 1848




{{DEFAULTSORT:Laffemas, Barthelemy de French economists French male non-fiction writers 16th-century economists 16th-century French writers 16th-century French male writers 17th-century economists 17th-century French writers 17th-century French male writers People from Drôme 1545 births 1612 deaths