The 1768 publication of Physiocratie, ou Constitution naturelle du gouvernement le plus avantageux au genre humain established Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours as a leading economic theorist of the Ancien Régime. His career spanned roles as a government official, writer, and entrepreneur, navigating the turbulent transition from the French monarchy to the early United States.
Economic Influence and Government Service
Born in Paris in 1739 to a watchmaker, du Pont emerged as a protégé of Dr. François Quesnay. As a key figure among the économistes, he advocated for free trade and minimal tariffs. His expertise in national economy caught the attention of intellectuals like Voltaire and Turgot. During his tenure as French inspector general of commerce under Louis XVI, he helped negotiate the 1783 treaty recognizing American independence and the 1786 commercial treaty between France and England. He was ennobled by lettres patentes in 1784, receiving the suffix de Nemours.
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Du Pont served as president of the National Constituent Assembly and was a deputy to the Estates-General of 1789. Alongside his son Éleuthère, he physically defended Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette at the Tuileries Palace during the 10 August 1792 insurrection. He faced the threat of the guillotine during the Reign of Terror but was spared following the fall of Maximilien Robespierre. After his residence was sacked in 1797, he emigrated to the United States in 1799 with his family.
American Ventures and Legacy
In the United States, du Pont utilized his connections with Thomas Jefferson to influence diplomatic relations, notably proposing the concept that led to the Louisiana Purchase. While an attempt to build a model community failed, his son Éleuthère Irénée established a gunpowder plant, the foundation of the modern DuPont corporation. Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, a member of the American Philosophical Society, died in 1817 at Greenville and was buried at the Du Pont de Nemours Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1739, Paris
- Died: 1817, Greenville
- Occupations: Writer, politician, economist, entrepreneur
- Positions: President of National Constituent Assembly (1807-1810)
- Memberships: Committee of General Security, American Philosophical Society
- Awards: Knight of the Order of Vasa, Knight of the Legion of Honour
Questions readers ask
What was his primary economic contribution?
He was a central figure in the physiocrat movement, advocating for free trade, low tariffs, and agricultural reforms, which influenced contemporaries like Adam Smith.
How did his family reach the United States?
After surviving political imprisonment and civil unrest in France, he and his family immigrated in 1799 following the events of 18 Fructidor V.
Achievements
- Knight of the Order of Vasa
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
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