Return/retourSearch
Website Design and Content © by Eric Krause,
Krause House Info-Research Solutions (© 1996)
All Images © Parks Canada Except
Where Noted Otherwise
Report/Rapport © Parks Canada / Parcs Canada
---
Report Assembly/Rapport de l'assemblée © Krause
House
Info-Research Solutions
Researching the
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada
Recherche sur la Forteresse-de-Louisbourg Lieu historique national du Canada
Extracts of Matters of Historical Interest from "The Huissier, News For and About the Fortress of Louisbourg Heritage Presentation Staff" By The Fortress of Louisbourg Heritage Presentation Staff
THE HUISSIER
(June 14, 2003)
Business was Business in the Eighteenth Century as It Is Now
[By John Johnston, historian]
According to Historian John Johnston, business was business in the eighteenth century as it is now. Private investors would be involved in the trading industry and every time goods would change hands there would be a mark-up in order to make profits. A Habitant-Pêcheur would have to set the price of cod high enough to make sure he could pay his expenses, the salary for his fishermen and still make a profit. Louisbourg was a colony of France, so if there was work here and industries were flourishing, it meant French people were benefiting from this situation. There were not as many taxes collected in Louisbourg as in France. There were many different fees charged for various services, for example, a harbour fee for entering the harbour. The government didn't pay for any services at the time. Individuals were responsible for paying everything with their own money.
There was no specific coin or note worth a livre. It was a theoretical monetary unit.
Playing cards were issued as money in Quebec since there was a shortage of hard coin at our time.
There was a lot of hard currency in Louisbourg. French and also Spanish coins were here in the town and it was agreed upon what exchange was given for foreign coin. People knew their value no matter what their country of origin. The barter system was used for small transactions only. Any major dealings would have been negotiated in cash. Often letters of exchange or promissory notes were agreed upon until money was available to pay off the debt. People had money and used it to purchase goods and services. Paper money was being used in New England at this time.