Luis Jerónimo of Uztáriz and Hemiaga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Jerónimo of Uztáriz and Hemiaga
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| Luis Jerónimo de Uztáriz y Hermiaga | |
Retrato de Gerónimo Uztariz-Anónimo siglo XVIII-Madrid 1757
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| Born | 1670 Doneztebe (Santesteban or Sant-Esteban), Pamplona, Navarre, Spain
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| Died | January 31, 1732 (aged 61) |
| Resting place | The Church of Santa Maria de la Almudena. |
| Spouse(s) | María Francisca of Azuara and Candía |
Luis Jerónimo of Uztáriz and Hemiaga (1670–1732) was an important Spanish politician and economist. He worked to improve Spain's economy, which was struggling after a long period of spending by the previous rulers. He is famous for his book, Theory and Practice of Commerce and Maritime Affairs, first published in 1724. This book has been translated into French, Italian, and English.
Contents
Early Life
Luis Jerónimo of Uztáriz and Hemiaga was born in 1670. His hometown was Santesteban in Navarre, a region in northern Spain. He was the second of seven children.
In his family's region, the oldest child usually inherited everything. Because Luis was the second son, he did not inherit family wealth. At age 15, he moved to Madrid to live with relatives. This move marked the start of his successful career in the military.
Family Life
In 1696, Luis married Maria of Azuara and Sesseguen in Brussels. Maria came from a noble family of soldiers who had served Spain for many years. They had two sons:
- Casimiro de Uztáriz y Azuara
- Luis Jerónimo de Uztáriz y Azuara
Casimiro, like his father, became a Knight and Commander of the Military Order of Santiago. He also served as Secretary of the Royal Councils of State and War.
Military and Public Service
In 1688, Luis Jerónimo joined the Spanish Army in Flanders. He fought for about 10 years in the Augsburg League War. During this time, he rose to the rank of field master. He took part in eight military campaigns. These included the Siege of Namur and the Battle of Landen in 1693, where he was captured. After the war ended in 1697, he briefly returned to Spain before going back to Flanders.
From 1698 to 1704, he worked as a secretary for Isidoro de la Cueva y Benavides. This person was the Marquess of Bedmar, who governed and commanded the Spanish army in Flanders. Luis Jerónimo was there when the War of Spanish Succession began.
In 1704, the Marquess became the Viceroy of Sicily. Luis Jerónimo went with him and served as Secretary of State and War. While in Sicily, he was made a Knight of Santiago. He showed great administrative and political skills. He worked as a Senior Officer of the Royal Secretariat and Secretary in the Council of the Indies.
In 1707, he finally returned to Spain. He then started a career in government administration. He was appointed to several important roles:
- Minister of War
- Secretary of the Council of Commerce and Finance
- Secretary of the Board of Trade and the Mint
In 1725, he helped reorganize the Board of Commerce. He was then chosen by vote to be its secretary. He had a big impact on the economic plans of King Philip V.
Later Years
Luis Jerónimo of Uztáriz died on January 31, 1732, in Madrid. He was buried in the Church of Santa Maria de la Almudena.
His Economic Ideas
Luis Jerónimo's interest in economic problems became clear in 1717. He wrote an approval for a book called The Commerce of Holland. In his writing, he discussed economic rules made by King Louis XIV of France and his minister, Colbert. He believed Spain should use these rules, known as Colbertism, to become as strong as France and the Netherlands.
Theory and Practice of Commerce and Maritime Affairs
Uztáriz is best known for his main work, Theorica y Practica de Comercio y de Marina. This translates to Theory and Practice of Commerce and Maritime Affairs. It was first published in 1724 and dedicated to King Philip V. In this book, he shared his ideas on:
- Trade
- Manufacturing
- Taxes
- Shipping
He explained how Spain could regain its lost power and wealth. His work was so important that he was seen as one of the few experts on economic problems in the king's councils. Some writers even call him "the first Spaniard that has made a name in Political Economy."
His detailed knowledge of Spain's trade and shipping impressed the king. When the position of Secretary of the Board of Trade became open in 1724, Uztáriz was the obvious choice. Three years later, when the Board of Trade joined with the Board of the Mint, he was again appointed secretary. In this role, he greatly influenced Spain's trade policies. He started many reforms and made the department a reliable source of information about trade in Spain.
Uztáriz also investigated specific public economic problems. For example, in 1727, he studied the royal cloth factory in Guadalajara. He wrote a report about why the industry was failing and suggested ways to make it profitable again. He also studied the amount of cloth in the factory and royal warehouses.
In his book, Uztáriz believed that a nation's wealth came from precious metals. However, he argued that the key was not just to stop these metals from leaving the country. Instead, he said, a country should make them enter and stay by having a good trade balance. This means selling more goods to other countries than you buy from them.
He suggested promoting manufacturing and reorganizing trade. He believed a nation could not be strong without a lot of trade. And useful trade was impossible without having its own factories. To achieve this, the government needed to support manufacturers and sellers.
He also recommended:
- Lowering internal taxes.
- Changing tariffs (taxes on imported and exported goods). This would make Spanish products cheaper and increase sales at home and abroad.
- Developing national industries at the same time as restricting imported goods. This would prevent shortages.
Uztáriz thought Spain's decline was not caused by people moving to the Americas. Instead, he blamed unfavorable trade. He supported promoting private businesses. He did not think creating large trade companies would help Spain's foreign trade much. He asked for Spanish trade offices to be set up in major foreign ports. He also wanted the Board of Commerce to be reformed with experienced professionals. He suggested improving roads, ports, and opening river channels. He also recommended creating academies to promote trade, science, and arts.
Uztáriz is the only Spanish economist mentioned by Adam Smith in his famous book, The Wealth of Nations (1776).
See also
In Spanish: Jerónimo de Uztáriz para niños
