Alex Taylor
@alextaylorecon.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Economics, Schroeder School of Business, University of Evansville
Political Economy & Economic History Researching Monuments and Media
https://alexntaylor.github.io/
Political Economy & Economic History Researching Monuments and Media
https://alexntaylor.github.io/
We find a positive correlation between French print share 1500-1640 and expressions of French identity in the cahiers. Further, in an RDD specification, print towns within the France when the ordinance was adopted were more likely to express national identity.
Printing + Policy = Identity. (11/12)
Printing + Policy = Identity. (11/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
We find a positive correlation between French print share 1500-1640 and expressions of French identity in the cahiers. Further, in an RDD specification, print towns within the France when the ordinance was adopted were more likely to express national identity.
Printing + Policy = Identity. (11/12)
Printing + Policy = Identity. (11/12)
What are the long-run consequences of the state-driven French vernacular shift? Taking on arguments from Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities," we investigate the long-run effect of the ordinance on national identity using the Cahiers de Doléances, grievances from the French Revolution. (10/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
What are the long-run consequences of the state-driven French vernacular shift? Taking on arguments from Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities," we investigate the long-run effect of the ordinance on national identity using the Cahiers de Doléances, grievances from the French Revolution. (10/12)
Slightly altering our main specification, we confirm linguistic convergence to Parisian standards. Towns further away from Paris, i.e. those with the largest potential for linguistic change, see a 90% decrease in linguistic distance relative to towns just across the French border. (9/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Slightly altering our main specification, we confirm linguistic convergence to Parisian standards. Towns further away from Paris, i.e. those with the largest potential for linguistic change, see a 90% decrease in linguistic distance relative to towns just across the French border. (9/12)
We use titles in the USTC to measure the average linguistic distance of French titles printed across Europe from Parisian French.
Within France, we see a clear correlation between geographic and linguistic distance of towns from Paris... But it becomes much weaker after the ordinance. (8/12)
Within France, we see a clear correlation between geographic and linguistic distance of towns from Paris... But it becomes much weaker after the ordinance. (8/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
We use titles in the USTC to measure the average linguistic distance of French titles printed across Europe from Parisian French.
Within France, we see a clear correlation between geographic and linguistic distance of towns from Paris... But it becomes much weaker after the ordinance. (8/12)
Within France, we see a clear correlation between geographic and linguistic distance of towns from Paris... But it becomes much weaker after the ordinance. (8/12)
We see a large, immediate increase in vernacular printing across several margins:
- 65 percentage point increase in vernacular print share
- increase of 100 vernacular editions (levels)
- 32% increase in vernacular editions
Villers-Cotterêts effectively flips printing from Latin to French. (6/12)
- 65 percentage point increase in vernacular print share
- increase of 100 vernacular editions (levels)
- 32% increase in vernacular editions
Villers-Cotterêts effectively flips printing from Latin to French. (6/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
We see a large, immediate increase in vernacular printing across several margins:
- 65 percentage point increase in vernacular print share
- increase of 100 vernacular editions (levels)
- 32% increase in vernacular editions
Villers-Cotterêts effectively flips printing from Latin to French. (6/12)
- 65 percentage point increase in vernacular print share
- increase of 100 vernacular editions (levels)
- 32% increase in vernacular editions
Villers-Cotterêts effectively flips printing from Latin to French. (6/12)
To establish causality we exploit the location of the French border in a difference-in-discontinuities design, estimating the difference in discontinuities between towns on either side of the HRE and Spanish borders before and after Villers-Cotterêts. (5/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
To establish causality we exploit the location of the French border in a difference-in-discontinuities design, estimating the difference in discontinuities between towns on either side of the HRE and Spanish borders before and after Villers-Cotterêts. (5/12)
What caused the vernacular shift in Catholic France? Our findings point to a key policy:
The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, which required all legal documents to be written in French rather than Latin.
We argue the policy caused spillovers and a subsequent explosion of vernacular printing. (4/12)
The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, which required all legal documents to be written in French rather than Latin.
We argue the policy caused spillovers and a subsequent explosion of vernacular printing. (4/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
What caused the vernacular shift in Catholic France? Our findings point to a key policy:
The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, which required all legal documents to be written in French rather than Latin.
We argue the policy caused spillovers and a subsequent explosion of vernacular printing. (4/12)
The Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, which required all legal documents to be written in French rather than Latin.
We argue the policy caused spillovers and a subsequent explosion of vernacular printing. (4/12)
Using the Universal Short Title Catalogue, we construct a town–decade panel of print activity, 1500–1640.
We found Reformation era 🇩🇪 clearly produced the most vernacular editions. But *Catholic* 🇫🇷 was a close second. As a share of print output, 🇫🇷 vernacular printing exceeded 🇩🇪 by 1560. (3/12)
We found Reformation era 🇩🇪 clearly produced the most vernacular editions. But *Catholic* 🇫🇷 was a close second. As a share of print output, 🇫🇷 vernacular printing exceeded 🇩🇪 by 1560. (3/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Using the Universal Short Title Catalogue, we construct a town–decade panel of print activity, 1500–1640.
We found Reformation era 🇩🇪 clearly produced the most vernacular editions. But *Catholic* 🇫🇷 was a close second. As a share of print output, 🇫🇷 vernacular printing exceeded 🇩🇪 by 1560. (3/12)
We found Reformation era 🇩🇪 clearly produced the most vernacular editions. But *Catholic* 🇫🇷 was a close second. As a share of print output, 🇫🇷 vernacular printing exceeded 🇩🇪 by 1560. (3/12)
How did France become one of Europe’s biggest printers of vernacular books, and how did it shape its linguistic and political development?
My paper w/Jacob Hall, "The King’s French," shows how a 1539 language mandate changed printing, standardized French, and strengthened national identity. (1/12)
My paper w/Jacob Hall, "The King’s French," shows how a 1539 language mandate changed printing, standardized French, and strengthened national identity. (1/12)
November 17, 2025 at 11:13 PM
How did France become one of Europe’s biggest printers of vernacular books, and how did it shape its linguistic and political development?
My paper w/Jacob Hall, "The King’s French," shows how a 1539 language mandate changed printing, standardized French, and strengthened national identity. (1/12)
My paper w/Jacob Hall, "The King’s French," shows how a 1539 language mandate changed printing, standardized French, and strengthened national identity. (1/12)
In trying times, may we all strive to find the peace Stanley finds in a simple beam of sunlight
September 20, 2025 at 11:44 AM
In trying times, may we all strive to find the peace Stanley finds in a simple beam of sunlight
Classes starting back today got me like
August 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Classes starting back today got me like
I received a very insistent demand for belly scratches this morning...
August 12, 2025 at 2:52 AM
I received a very insistent demand for belly scratches this morning...
Being an absolute menace while Dad is trying to write a paper is exhausting work.
In case you were wondering, yes. This is a dachshund puppy page for the foreseeable future.
In case you were wondering, yes. This is a dachshund puppy page for the foreseeable future.
June 24, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Being an absolute menace while Dad is trying to write a paper is exhausting work.
In case you were wondering, yes. This is a dachshund puppy page for the foreseeable future.
In case you were wondering, yes. This is a dachshund puppy page for the foreseeable future.
Well my productivity for the rest of this summer just took a hit. Having a gremlin in the apartment is a little distracting.
Happy to have Stanley join our family!
Happy to have Stanley join our family!
June 16, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Well my productivity for the rest of this summer just took a hit. Having a gremlin in the apartment is a little distracting.
Happy to have Stanley join our family!
Happy to have Stanley join our family!
Of course, the white-washing of the Smithsonian is beyond awful. But many are overlooking the likely restoration of Confederate monuments(!)
I don't recall exactly how many were on federal land. Hopefully not many. But broad restoration may materially impact more people than changes in DC museums.
I don't recall exactly how many were on federal land. Hopefully not many. But broad restoration may materially impact more people than changes in DC museums.
March 28, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Of course, the white-washing of the Smithsonian is beyond awful. But many are overlooking the likely restoration of Confederate monuments(!)
I don't recall exactly how many were on federal land. Hopefully not many. But broad restoration may materially impact more people than changes in DC museums.
I don't recall exactly how many were on federal land. Hopefully not many. But broad restoration may materially impact more people than changes in DC museums.
Really excited for the updated talking points start coming out, explaining why we should be proud to be poorer.
Teaching tariffs is going to really suck this semester.
Teaching tariffs is going to really suck this semester.
February 2, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Really excited for the updated talking points start coming out, explaining why we should be proud to be poorer.
Teaching tariffs is going to really suck this semester.
Teaching tariffs is going to really suck this semester.
If you're attending the SEA meetings this weekend, come on out to the fantastic economic history sessions organized by EHA/Clio. Extra props if you come to Race & Economic History (though you should really go to all of them)
November 17, 2023 at 11:37 AM
If you're attending the SEA meetings this weekend, come on out to the fantastic economic history sessions organized by EHA/Clio. Extra props if you come to Race & Economic History (though you should really go to all of them)
Drop something blue from your gallery
September 23, 2023 at 1:17 AM
Drop something blue from your gallery