Saturday, May 23, 2015

The Efficiency of the Domestic Economy


Context: This was written in 1664 on trading.  It is a letter to the town Marseilles to encourage trade.  He wants to improve his own country's economy with the help of others. This type of letter was a very typical letter from Louis XIV.

Author: The author of this letter is King Louis XIV of France.  This was written towards the beginning of his reign which lasted from 1643 to 1716.  Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France from 1643 until his death.

Summarize: This is a letter to the town of Marseilles from King Louis XIV to explain how their foreign and domestic commerce.  Marseilles is an essential trading center and is required to support the empire through commerce in exchange for security and governance. They decided to create a council that is devoted to commerce for the revival.  The plan was to set aside livres (French currency) to be used for manufactures and navigation each year to support the companies of the East and West Indies.  They are working to abolish tolls collected on rivers and give money to repair highways.  Merchants and sea traders will receive subsides for each ton of merchandise they import or export.  He explains that he wants the men of Marseilles to participate in commerce.

Quotation: "How advantageous it would be to this realm to reestablish its foreign and domestic commerce"

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