Absolute Monarchy 

Homework Assignment # 2 - Louis XIV - Absolute Monarch

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Source # 2 - Biography of Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Jean-Baptiste Colbert was born to a merchant family in France in 1619. He was educated to be a merchant and learned about accounting and record-keeping when he was apprenticed to work for a bank. His first job was working for the French government as an army inspector. In this position, he traveled across France writing reports to the government about the quality of the army and managing money for the army. The quality of Colbert's work caught the attention of Cardinal Mazarin, the chief minister to Louis XIV, who asked Colbert to manage his own personal fortune. Colbert's financial skill increased Mazarin's wealth from 8 million livres to 35 million livres. On his deathbed, Mazarin recommended Colbert to Louis XIV to work in his government.

In 1665, Louis made Colbert his Minister of Finance. In this position, Colbert used his skills in accounting and record keeping to reorganize the financial accounts of France and used this to win the favor of Louis. Colbert understood that government accounting books collected information about everything happening in France and that this information was a source of power. Colbert organized all of the records of tax collection and government spending into state accounting books that he presented to Louis. Colbert taught Louis how to read accounting books and would often communicate with Louis through letters about government's accounts. In these letters, Louis oven gave Colbert power over government decisions by writing, "It is for you to judge what is best." Colbert even gave Louis updated pocket account books that Louis kept with him and often consulted when making decisions.

Colbert gained tremendous power through working for Louis. His control of the government finances meant that his input and advice was needed to any important government decision. In addition, because he understood the financial state of the government, he could speak honestly to Louis, often criticizing Louis for his spending on palaces and wars. Colbert used his power to fund the building of roads, canals and industries that would increase the economy of France.

Colbert died in 1683. After his death, Louis did not replace Colbert and instead divided Colbert's responsibilities among several ministers, so that no one official fully know the condition of the government's finances. In order to insure that the ministers would not work together against him, Louis gave the different ministerial positions to members of different banking families. 

Class Discussion - Visuals of Louis XIV as Absolute Monarch

Classwork - Louis XIV and Centralizing Power

Class Assignment # 2 - Primary Sources on Abuse of Power

Primary Source # 1 - Jean-Baptiste Colbert in a letter to the Intendant in the region of Burgundy (1663)

The complaints which you wrote me about are simply the results of the inequality and injustice inherent in the tax system.  It is a result of the mayors imposing whatever tax they want. This abuse has been practiced in every community with the burden on the lesser people and to the benefit of the leaders and the important citizens. When a town is supposed to pay ten thousand, the mayor has no difficulty imposing a tax of twenty thousand or more. The leaders and the important citizens can use the difference for useless expenses such as trips, feasts, presents, and other things of that nature, while they pay little or nothing of these taxes anyway. The mayors and the leaders compel the poor to pay, while sparing the most powerful by getting themselves exempted.

I must note in passing, Monsieur, that the same injustice that is practiced in every community through these taxes, in which the weak pay two to three times their assessments while the powerful pay nothing at all or very little.... 

Primary Source # 2 - Pierre Le Pesant, Lieutenant General for Rouen describing the effect of taxes on the population (1695)

In effect, the arbitrary tax compels a merchant to hide his money and a farmer to let his land lie fallow, for if one wishes to do business and other to plow, they would alike be crushed with the tax by powerful men, who themselves are in the position of paying little or nothing at all.  

Primary Source # 3 - Except from the writings of Marshall Sebastien Le Presture de Vauban about the large amount of poverty in France (1698)

It is certain that the mass of poverty is now extremely great; and that if no aid is afforded, the poor, who have no means of assisting themselves, will sink into a depth of poverty out of which they will never again be raised.  The great high roads, and the streets of towns and villages, are full of beggars, who are driven  out by hunger and want of everything... Almost a tenth of the population is as poor as beggars, and actually beg.  Of the remaining nine-tenths, five are unable to give alms (help) because they are themselves reduced to almost the same plight, and of the remaining four-tenths are in a very miserable condition..."

Class Assignment # 2 - Organizing Evidence