Trade Shocks, Rural Protests and Political Attitudes: the Textile Industry in Revolutionary Normandy

The 1786 Eden Treaty marked a turning point in Franco-English trade, establishing a competitive trade system through reduced customs duties on manufactured goods. In the short term, this shift forced many French manufacturers, unable to compete with English products, into bankruptcy. This paper examines the socio-economic impact of the Eden Treaty, focusing on Normandy. As a result of increased trade competition, English cotton textile imports surged while local production sharply declined. Based on a new database on the diffusion of industries prior to the French Revolution, this paper studies the geography, type, and intensity of industrial activity. The data show that the Eden Treaty’s economic shock was acutely felt in Normandy’s textile-producing parishes, which saw significantly more food riots after 1786 compared to other regions. In the Cahiers de doléances, these parishes frequently cited grievances against the treaty’s consequences such as rising staple prices.