Michel Chevalier

author

Michel Chevalier

1806–1879

An engineer turned economist and public thinker, he moved from Saint-Simonian idealism to become one of 19th-century France’s best-known voices for free trade. His work linked big ideas about industry and progress with practical debates about railways, finance, and international commerce.

2 Audiobooks

L'isthme de Panama Examen historique et géographique des différentes directions suivant lesquelles on pourrait le percer et des moyens à y employer; suivi d'un aperçu sur l'isthme de Suez.

L'isthme de Panama Examen historique et géographique des différentes directions suivant lesquelles on pourrait le percer et des moyens à y employer; suivi d'un aperçu sur l'isthme de Suez.

by Michel Chevalier

Society, Manners and Politics in the United States Being a Series of Letters on North America

Society, Manners and Politics in the United States Being a Series of Letters on North America

by Michel Chevalier

About the author

Born in Limoges in 1806, Michel Chevalier trained as an engineer at the École Polytechnique and the École des Mines. Early in life he was drawn to the Saint-Simonian movement, whose belief in industry, technology, and social renewal shaped his outlook even after his politics changed.

After a period of imprisonment connected with his Saint-Simonian activism, he rebuilt his career as a writer, economist, and public official. Travels in the United States led to his widely read Lettres sur l’Amérique du Nord, and he later became a professor at the Collège de France, where he wrote and lectured on political economy, transport, and industrial development.

Chevalier is especially remembered for his role in promoting freer trade. Working with Richard Cobden, he helped negotiate the 1860 Anglo-French commercial treaty, often called the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty, which became an important milestone in 19th-century trade policy. He died in 1879, leaving behind a career that connected engineering, economics, and government service.