Visualizations atlas
Map of the provinces investigated : Poitou, Aunis, Saintonge, Angoumois (PASA)
Map of PASA region ports
Map of customs offices in the PASA region
The decline of the La Rochelle region following the loss of Canada
Highly specialized ports: the slave trade, the salt trade, and the brandy trade
La Rochelle, a dominating port but not a regional hub
Products with the highest export value in 1789: comparison between the La Rochelle customs region and the French average
Evolution of the share of La Rochelle trade in relation to France as a whole
Home country of ships departing from the region in 1789
Home ports of ships departing from the PASA region in 1789
Destinations of ships sailing from the PASA region to another country in 1789
Home port of ships sailing to another country in 1789
Share of French navigation in the region
Comparison of colonial, local, and other exports by customs office
Flows of ships outfitted by the port of La Rochelle in 1787
Ports of departure of vessels transporting salt in 1789 from the PASA region, aggregated by cumulative tonnage
Destination of ships departing from Marennes in 1789, aggregated by country and by cumulative tonnage
Evolution of brandy exports from the La Rochelle customs region (free ports not included)
Comparison of brandy exports from different customs regions (free ports not included - no data for Montpellier in 1770)
Origin of brandy exports from the La Rochelle customs region in 1789 (free ports not included)
Maps of ships leaving Marennes with salt in 1789, sized by cumulative tonnage
Comparison of brandy exports from different customs regions (free ports not included - no data for Montpellier in 1770)
How were the data and visualization produced ?
Data for this chart was drawn from the Toflit18 database, and more specifically from the references to exports to foreign countries (free ports not included) of products falling within the "brandy" category of the Toflit18 "Revolution & Empire" classification, for the La Rochelle customs region. The flows were drawn from the "Best Guess customs region prod x partner" group of sources which provide information for each customs region (rather than all of France). Quantification was based on the value of exports in livres.
How to read the visualization?
This chart shows the value of brandy exports from the customs regions of La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Montpellier (mainly via the port of Sète), Nantes and Bayonne. Exports to French free ports were not included. Data for Montpellier is missing for 1770. La Rochelle dominated exports in 1750 but was overtaken by Bordeaux in 1770. However, the Eden-Reynald Treaty of 1787 that led to an explosion of exports to England mostly benefited La Rochelle. Nantes was stagnating while exports from Bayonne and Montpellier were growing.