Dominique-Vincent Ramel-Nogaret facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dominique-Vincent Ramel
|
|
|---|---|
Portrait of Ramel in 1820 by Jacques-Louis David
|
|
| Born | 3 November 1760 Montolieu, Aude, France
|
| Died | 31 March 1829 (aged 68) Brussels, Belgium.
|
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Lawyer and politician |
| Known for | Minister of Finance |
Dominique-Vincent Ramel (also known as Ramel de Nogaret) was a French lawyer and politician. He was born on November 3, 1760, and passed away on March 31, 1829. He became the Minister of Finance during a period in France called the French Directory.
Ramel was known for trying to make many changes and improvements. However, he was often blamed for the money problems France faced at that time. He stepped away from politics during the French Consulate and First French Empire. He later supported Napoleon when he returned to power in 1815 during the Hundred Days. After the king returned to power in France, Ramel was forced to live in Belgium, where he died without ever going back home.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Dominique-Vincent Ramel was born in a town called Montolieu in France. His family were successful cloth merchants and manufacturers. They were from a town called Nogaret.
His great-grandfather, Antoine Ramel, was a "king's advocate." This meant he was a lawyer who worked for the king. Dominique-Vincent's parents were Jean-Baptiste Ramel and Marie-Rose Ducup.
He studied law in Toulouse. After finishing school, he became a lawyer and a judge in his hometown. He also worked as a king's advocate in Carcassonne. He got this important job from his great-uncle.
Joining the French Revolution
Ramel de Nogaret believed in new ideas for France. On March 23, 1789, he was chosen to represent his area in the Estates General. This was a big meeting of different groups in France.
On June 20, 1789, he took the Tennis Court Oath. This was a promise made by members of the Third Estate not to quit until they had written a new constitution. This event helped create the National Assembly.
Ramel worked on committees and helped with important tasks. In June 1791, he was sent to Brittany. There were serious problems there, and he helped calm things down.
A Voice in the National Assembly
Ramel de Nogaret was not known for being a great speaker. However, he worked very hard in different committees. He was the secretary of the Assembly in July 1791.
He did not agree with dividing France into new departments. He thought it would cause too many problems with how the government worked and how taxes were collected. After the Assembly finished its work in September 1791, he became the president of the court in Carcassonne.
Role in the National Convention
On September 4, 1792, Ramel was chosen to join the National Convention. This was a new government body during the French Revolution.
He was involved in the trial of Louis XVI, the king of France. Ramel believed the king was guilty of working against freedom. He thought the king deserved to be punished.
Ramel spoke about many important topics. These included the new Constitution of 1793. He also discussed selling property that belonged to people who had left France. He talked about creating new paper money called "assignats." He was against the Law of the Maximum, which tried to control food prices.
Ramel de Nogaret became a member of the Committee of Public Safety. This committee had a lot of power during the revolution. He suggested creating a special group to make final decisions about people accused of crimes. In 1795, he was sent to Holland. He helped the French army succeed quickly there.
When he returned, he was elected to the Council of Five Hundred. This was another important part of the French government.
Becoming Finance Minister
Ramel had studied a lot about taxes. Because of this, he was made Minister of Finance on February 14, 1796. He took on this job during a very difficult time. The French armies needed money urgently.
He came up with the idea of a "land registry." This is a system to record who owns land and how much it is worth. He also managed the difficult change from paper money (assignats) back to regular money.
He worked hard to reduce France's public debt. This was the money the government owed. He also wanted to improve the tax system. In November 1797, he set up new tax offices in different parts of France. These offices had special staff to collect taxes.
However, the way taxes were managed became very messy. This was not Ramel's fault, but people blamed him for all the country's money problems. Newspapers and politicians criticized him a lot. Some even accused him of working with army suppliers for his own gain. But when Ramel left his job in July 1799, he was not richer than when he started.
In September 1797, Ramel made a big decision. He decided that France would only pay back one-third of its public debt. This meant the government would not pay back two-thirds of the money it owed.
Life After Politics
In 1799, Ramel de Nogaret married Ange-Pauline-Charlotte Panckoucke. Her family was well-known in publishing.
He stayed out of politics for many years. This was during the time of the French Consulate and most of the First French Empire. Ramel became quite wealthy from his family's inheritance and his own business dealings. He bought a beautiful country house in Montolieu. People called it the "little Versailles."
In 1812, Ramel accepted a job in the local government. In 1815, when Napoleon returned to power for the Hundred Days, Ramel became a prefect in Normandy. A prefect is a high-ranking government official.
After the king returned to power again, Ramel was forced to leave France in January 1816. This was because he had voted for the king's punishment during the revolution. He moved to Belgium. There, he went back to his family's business of making and selling textiles.
Dominique-Vincent Ramel passed away in Brussels, Belgium, on March 31, 1829.
Ramel de Nogaret had two daughters with his wife, Pauline Panckoucke. Their names were Pauline and Mélanie. In 1820, a famous painter named Jacques-Louis David painted portraits of Ramel and his wife. These paintings stayed with the family for many years.
Images for kids
-
Dominique-Vincent Ramel de Nogaret, around 1795
-
Ange-Pauline-Charlotte Panckoucke in 1820, painted by Jacques-Louis David
