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Do Frontiers give or do frontiers take ? The case of intercontinental trade in France at the end of the Ancien Régime

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  • Guillaume Daudin

    (OFCE - Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (Sciences Po) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po)

Abstract

This paper studies the role of French intercontinental trade in the accumulation of domestic capital at the end of the Ancien Régime. It uses O'Brien's method to measure the amount of annual profits generated from this sector. The marginal profits are then computed by estimating what return the resources invested in the intercontinental sector would have had if they had been invested domestically instead. Finally, using the notion of "hearth of growth," the paper suggests that international trade was important for the French economy in spite of its modest aggregate returns.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillaume Daudin, 2006. "Do Frontiers give or do frontiers take ? The case of intercontinental trade in France at the end of the Ancien Régime," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-01065992, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:spmain:hal-01065992
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-01065992
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daudin, Guillaume, 2004. "Profitability of Slave and Long-Distance Trading in Context: The Case of Eighteenth-Century France," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 64(1), pages 144-171, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kevin H. O'Rourke & Leandro Prados de la Escosura & Guillaume Daudin, 2008. "Trade and Empire, 1700-1870," Trinity Economics Papers tep0208, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics, revised May 2008.
    2. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6149 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Guillaume Daudin, 2006. "Profits du commerce intercontinental et croissance dans la France du xviiie siècle," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 57(3), pages 605-613.
    4. Guillaume Daudin, 2002. "The quality of slave trade investment in eighteenth century France," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2002-06, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
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