Ancien Regime Finance Flashcards
1700 population
21.5 million
1780s population
27 million
Trading ports
Marseilles, Nantes, Le Havre, Bordeaux.
Discounting bills of exchange
1776 - Caisse d’Escompte founded
Units of measurement before 1789
25,000
Failure of the vintage
1778
Disastrous winters
1785-89
Worst harvest in 40 years
July 1788
Direct taxes
Capitation (poll tax), Vingtieme (5% income levy), Taille (land tax).
Indirect taxes
Gabelle (salt tax), Tabac (tobacco tax), Aides (consumer goods), Domaine (crownlands tax), Traite (customs), Timbre (stamp tax), Octrois (Customs on imports).
1715 debt
2 billion livres
Annual interest payment on 1715 debt
165 million livres
War of the Austrian Succession
1740-48
Seven Years’ War
1756-63
Costs of Seven Years’ War
1.3 billion livres. Loss of all French colonies in North America.