Logistical, financial and legal aspects of traffic to the Petites Antilles in France in the first half of the century ; Aspects logistiques, financiers et juridiques du trafic vers les Petites Antilles françaises dans la première moitié du xviie siècle
During the first half of the century, the Compagnie des Isles de l'America (Compagnie des Isles de l'America) was granted a monopoly on land use beyond the Atlantic and commercial traffic by Royal Government. As it does not have enough vessels, it grants individuals licences to trade. Rather regular traffic is thus built between the main ports of France, which are all operational bases of the Compagnie de Saint-Gobain (Dieppe, Le Havre, Nantes, La Rochelle), and the Antilles.The chartes-parties and contracts based in the notarial archives, in particular Normandes, may enable us to seize the financial arrangements for such operations (borrowing, chartered parties, large loans) and arrangements for chartering vessels (preparation times, assembly of crews and goods). It is also possible to replenish some of the volumes of goods transported and the nature of trade. The risk of such travel is obvious. Given the sometimes terrible climatic conditions (storms, hurricanes and cyclones), it is necessary to add the corsary threat, particularly Flemish (the corsaries operate from Ostend and Dunkirk), but also Turkish (on the west coast of Africa), which disrupts the commercial route, and gives rise to fears that the vessel, goods and equipment will be caught. However, is this organisation the most appropriate to develop trade with the islands? ; During the first half of the seventeenth century, the french Compagnie des îles de l'Amérique received from the royal power the monopoly of land exploitation beyond the Atlantic and merchant traffic. Since it does not have enough vessels, it grants individuals licences to trade. A fairly regular traffic is thus set up between the main ports of France, which are as many operational bases of the company (Dieppe, Le Havre, Nantes, La Rochelle), and the Antilles.The contracts that rest in the notarial archives, in particular in Normandy, can allow us to enter the financial arrangement of such operations (credit, charte-partie, prêt à la grosse) as well as the arrangements for ...