Michel Chevalier facts for kids
Michel Chevalier (born January 13, 1806 – died November 18, 1879) was a smart French engineer, a leader in government, and an economist. He believed in free market ideas, which meant he thought businesses should be able to trade freely without too many rules.
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Early Life and Studies
Michel Chevalier was born in Limoges, France. He was a very good student. He went to a famous engineering school called the École Polytechnique. In 1829, he earned his engineering degree from the Paris École des mines.
A New Way of Thinking
In 1830, after a big change in France called the July Revolution, Michel Chevalier joined a group called the Saint-Simonians. This group had new ideas about how society should work. He became the editor of their newspaper, Le Globe.
In 1832, the government decided that the Saint-Simonian group was causing problems. The newspaper was shut down. Because he was the editor, Chevalier was sent to prison for six months.
Travels and New Ideas
After he was released, a French government minister named Adolphe Thiers sent Michel Chevalier on an important trip. In 1834, he traveled to the United States and Mexico. His job was to study how businesses and money worked in these countries.
In the United States, Chevalier visited many places. He observed American society, how people lived, and their political and economic systems. He wrote down his smart observations. These were published in France and made a big impact. In Mexico, he talked with a mineral expert and politician named Andrés Manuel del Río.
During this trip, Chevalier developed an interesting idea. He thought that the parts of the Americas where people spoke Spanish or Portuguese shared a special culture. He called these people a "Latin race." He believed they could be allies with "Latin Europe" (like France) against other parts of Europe and America. This idea later led to the term "Latin America." Later, this idea was used by France as a reason to get involved in Mexico, which Chevalier supported.
Rising Career
In 1837, Michel Chevalier wrote a successful book called Des intérèts matériels en France. After this, his career really took off. When he was 35, he became a professor of political economy at the famous Collège de France. This meant he taught about how countries manage their money and resources.
In 1839, the letters he sent home from his trip to North America were published in the United States. The book was called Society, manners and politics in the United States. Many people found it very important and interesting.
In 1852, he was chosen as a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a group that promotes useful knowledge. He was also an early member of the Société d'économie politique, a group of economists.
Government and Trade
Michel Chevalier became a member of the French parliament, called a député, in 1845. In 1860, he became a Senator. He was also elected as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1859.
One of his most important achievements was helping to create a free trade agreement in 1860. He worked with two British leaders, Richard Cobden and John Bright. This agreement was between the United Kingdom and France. It is still known as the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty. This treaty made it easier for the two countries to trade goods without high taxes.
Michel Chevalier passed away in Lodève in 1879.
Main Writings
- Des intérèts matériels en France, 1837
- Society, manners and politics in the United States, 1839
- Histoire et description des voies de communication aux États-Unis, 1840–42
- Essais de politique industrielle, 1843
- Cours d'économie politique, 1842-44 and 1850
See also
In Spanish: Michel Chevalier para niños
- Manchester capitalism
- Saint-Simonianism
