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Article: Colbert, Mercantilism, and the French Quest for Asian Trade.
- Article from:
- The Historian
- Article date:
- March 22, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Phi Alpha Theta, History Honor Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Colbert, Mercantilism, and the French Quest for Asian Trade. By Glenn J. Ames. (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 1996. Pp. xiv, 245. $36.00.)
This book is the first scholarly examination of the French East Indies Company (1664-74) since H. C. Cole's venerable work on Colbert in 1939. Part of Ames's account is well known, namely Colbert's mercantilist background, his envy of the Dutch, and his desire for France to seek a share of the lucrative Asian trade aggressively. Less well known are the leaders and the actual activities of the company in Asia: the self-serving Huguenot director-general and former employee of the Dutch East India Company, Francois ...