Description
Important French port founded in the 16th century at the mouth of the Seine, on the English Channel. It developed as a significant commercial center, participating in colonial trade and the slave trade, and became a crucial port for passengers and emigration in the 19th century.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Founded by order of King Francis I in 1517.
Country (State or Region)
France
Location
Le Havre, Normandy, at the mouth of the Seine River, English Channel.
Structuring
Artificial seaport, developed with the construction of basins (docks) and quays over the centuries. In the 19th century, it integrated the "Northern Range", indicating modernized infrastructure for steamships and large cargo volumes.
Notes
One of the four main slave trade ports in France, along with Nantes, Bordeaux, and La Rochelle. Played a central role in trade with the French colonies. In the 19th century, it became one of the most important ports in the "Northern Range", an axis of high-performance ports between Le Havre and Hamburg, driven by the Industrial Revolution and steam navigation. It was a key point for transatlantic passenger lines and European emigration.
Sources
MARNOT, Bruno. Ports as Tools of European Expansion. Encyclopédie d'histoire numérique de l'Europe [online], 2020.; OXFORD BIBLIOGRAPHIES. French Port Cities. 2011.; WIKIPEDIA. Traite négrière à Nantes. [s.d.].
