Francois Barbe-Marbois (383)

François, marquis de Barbé-Marbois (31 January 1745–14 January 1837) was a French statesman, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1780. Born in Metz, France, he began his diplomatic career working with American colonists. He then became an intendant of Santo Domingo in 1785 and, returning to France, served as deputy of the Council of Ancients a decade later. Not long after, his monarchist leanings forced him into exile in French Guiana. In 1800 Barbé-Marbois was able to return to France and, shortly after, became Minister of the Treasury. Three years later he successfully negotiated the Louisiana Purchase with the United States, selling the territory of Louisiana for a much better price than initially expected. Still, in 1806 Napoleon dismissed Barbé-Marbois after his role in the 1805 financial crisis surfaced. Nevertheless, he received an appointment as First President of the Cour des Comptes, an administrative court which handled the country’s public accounts. In 1813 he was made a senator and then a count. Upon Napoleon’s imminent demise, he switched allegiances and joined up with the Bourbons. This move proved lucrative for Barbé-Marbois: he became a Peer of France (1814), a Minister of Justice (1815-1816), and once again President of the Cour des Comptes (1816-1834). When the Bourbons were ousted he once again strategically switched alliances, aligning himself with the July Monarchy in 1834. He died three years later in Paris. (EB)