Nation of shopkeepers
Encyclopedia
The phrase "a nation of Shopkeepers" ("une nation de boutiquiers") is a disparaging remark supposedly used by Napoleon to describe the United Kingdom
as unfit for war against France
.
This phrase can be translated from French to English as:
The phrase, however, did not originate with Napoleon. It first appears in The Wealth of Nations
(1776) by Adam Smith
, who wrote:
Smith is also quoted as saying that Britain was "a nation that is governed by shopkeepers", which is how he put it in the first (1776) edition. The amended version is more accurate: before the Reform Act of 1832
, many shopkeeper
s would not even have been able to vote for an MP.
It may have been part of standard 18th century economic dialogue. It has been suggested that Napoleon may have heard it during a meeting of the French Convention on 11 June 1794, when Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac
quoted Smith's phrase.
Smith appears to be answering someone else's assertion. The phrase has also been attributed to Samuel Adams
, but this is disputed; Josiah Tucker
, Dean of Gloucester, produced a slightly different phrase in 1766:
In fact, Napoleon's assertion proved itself wrong. Although Britain had half the population of France during the Napoleonic Wars
, the country's manufacturing capacity was greater, so that there was a higher per capita income
and, consequently, a greater tax base, necessary to conduct a prolonged war of attrition. According to historian Paul Kennedy
, "The enormous sustained demand which Admiralty
contracts in particular created for iron
, wood
, cloth, and other wares produced a "feedback loop", which assisted British production and stimulated a series of technological breakthroughs that gave the country yet another advantage over the French."
The extraordinary confidence in the pound sterling
, a money of account like many others, never varied during the shocks of war, though the financial crisis of 1797 could have undermined it. Fernand Braudel
found that the fixed value of the pound, which had been stabilized under Elizabeth I
in 1560–61 was a crucial element in England's fortunes. "Without a fixed currency there would have been no easy credit, no security for those lending money to the sovereign, no confidence in any contract. And without credit there would have been no rise to greatness, no financial superiority." (Braudel p 356) In 1797 huge quantities of silver had to be exported to ensure the Allies' continued hostility to Revolutionary France. With great apprehension, Pitt
convinced Parliament to authorize the temporary non-convertibility of paper money. The resulting Bank Restriction Act, intended to last a matter of weeks, remained in force for 24 years, with banknotes circulating, with no guarantee behind them whatsoever, with no loss of value in relation to gold and silver— essentially the credit system we live under today. The foundation that the "shopkeepers" had built up was so unshakeable, that a Frenchman who lived in England throughout the Napoleonic Wars reported that he had never seen a golden guinea in all the time he was there (Braudel).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as unfit for war against France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
This phrase can be translated from French to English as:
The phrase, however, did not originate with Napoleon. It first appears in The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, generally referred to by its shortened title The Wealth of Nations, is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith...
(1776) by Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
, who wrote:
Smith is also quoted as saying that Britain was "a nation that is governed by shopkeepers", which is how he put it in the first (1776) edition. The amended version is more accurate: before the Reform Act of 1832
The Reform Bills
The Reform Bills were a series of proposals to reform voting in the British parliament. These include the Reform Acts of 1832, 1867, and 1884.-Background:...
, many shopkeeper
Shopkeeper
A shopkeeper is an individual who owns a shop. Generally, shop employees are not shopkeepers, but are often incorrectly referred to as shopkeepers. Today, a shopkeeper is usually referred to as a manager, though this term could apply to larger firms .*In many south asian languages like Hindi, Urdu,...
s would not even have been able to vote for an MP.
It may have been part of standard 18th century economic dialogue. It has been suggested that Napoleon may have heard it during a meeting of the French Convention on 11 June 1794, when Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac
Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac
Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac was a French politician and journalist, one of the most notorious members of the National Convention during the French Revolution.-Early career:He was born at Tarbes in Gascony...
quoted Smith's phrase.
Smith appears to be answering someone else's assertion. The phrase has also been attributed to Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
, but this is disputed; Josiah Tucker
Josiah Tucker
Josiah Tucker , also known as Dean Tucker, was a Welsh churchman, known as an economist and political writer. He was concerned in his works with free trade, Jewish emancipation and American independence...
, Dean of Gloucester, produced a slightly different phrase in 1766:
In fact, Napoleon's assertion proved itself wrong. Although Britain had half the population of France during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the country's manufacturing capacity was greater, so that there was a higher per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
and, consequently, a greater tax base, necessary to conduct a prolonged war of attrition. According to historian Paul Kennedy
Paul Kennedy
Paul Michael Kennedy CBE, FBA , is a British historian at Yale University specialising in the history of international relations, economic power and grand strategy. He has published prominent books on the history of British foreign policy and Great Power struggles...
, "The enormous sustained demand which Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
contracts in particular created for iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, cloth, and other wares produced a "feedback loop", which assisted British production and stimulated a series of technological breakthroughs that gave the country yet another advantage over the French."
The extraordinary confidence in the pound sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
, a money of account like many others, never varied during the shocks of war, though the financial crisis of 1797 could have undermined it. Fernand Braudel
Fernand Braudel
Fernand Braudel was a French historian and a leader of the Annales School. His scholarship focused on three main projects, each representing several decades of intense study: The Mediterranean , Civilization and Capitalism , and the unfinished Identity of France...
found that the fixed value of the pound, which had been stabilized under Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1560–61 was a crucial element in England's fortunes. "Without a fixed currency there would have been no easy credit, no security for those lending money to the sovereign, no confidence in any contract. And without credit there would have been no rise to greatness, no financial superiority." (Braudel p 356) In 1797 huge quantities of silver had to be exported to ensure the Allies' continued hostility to Revolutionary France. With great apprehension, Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
convinced Parliament to authorize the temporary non-convertibility of paper money. The resulting Bank Restriction Act, intended to last a matter of weeks, remained in force for 24 years, with banknotes circulating, with no guarantee behind them whatsoever, with no loss of value in relation to gold and silver— essentially the credit system we live under today. The foundation that the "shopkeepers" had built up was so unshakeable, that a Frenchman who lived in England throughout the Napoleonic Wars reported that he had never seen a golden guinea in all the time he was there (Braudel).