Rural merchants and the commercial development of the countryside in 18th-century Europe. The case and central and southern Lorraine
Villain, Julien
Rural merchants and the commercial development of the countryside in 18th-century Europe. The case and central and southern Lorraine - 2021.
45
The goal of this inquiry is to assess the extent to which inhabitants in rural areas in 18th-century Europe took part in market relations, by taking the presence of merchants in villages as an index of the extent to which local economies were “commercialized”. This issue is explored here in central and southern Lorraine, a relatively well-off and developed area on the eve of the French Revolution. There was a high number of these rural merchants, either exporting local production or importing goods to be locally retailed. Far from being mere peddlers, they often ran a shop, though sometimes having to combine their trading with other activities, mostly agriculture, but also quite often a craft. While the rural commercial economy in Lorraine was undienably robust, it did not reach the level of activity found in the most dynamic economic regions of continental Europe, such as the Dutch United Provinces or southern England.
Rural merchants and the commercial development of the countryside in 18th-century Europe. The case and central and southern Lorraine - 2021.
45
The goal of this inquiry is to assess the extent to which inhabitants in rural areas in 18th-century Europe took part in market relations, by taking the presence of merchants in villages as an index of the extent to which local economies were “commercialized”. This issue is explored here in central and southern Lorraine, a relatively well-off and developed area on the eve of the French Revolution. There was a high number of these rural merchants, either exporting local production or importing goods to be locally retailed. Far from being mere peddlers, they often ran a shop, though sometimes having to combine their trading with other activities, mostly agriculture, but also quite often a craft. While the rural commercial economy in Lorraine was undienably robust, it did not reach the level of activity found in the most dynamic economic regions of continental Europe, such as the Dutch United Provinces or southern England.
Réseaux sociaux