Voyages intellectuels dans les colonies en compagnie des physiocrates La question de l’esclavage

The study shows that, contrary to the common opinion, the main economists physiocrats were very much interested by the question of slavery and colonies. Put aside the case of Le Mercier de la Rivière, the physiocrats are convinced abolitionists. According to them, instead of exhausting our resources in far-off undertaking, it would be better to develop agriculture of the Kingdom. Concerning the existing colonies, it is necessary to populate them. The plans of settlement differ according to the authors, but all go in the direction of the suppression of slavery.