Did you know?
France's hated salt tax lasted until 1945
The gabelle made salt wildly expensive in some regions: in 1784, a minot (about 49 kg) cost 31 sous in Brittany but 611 in Berry, so smuggling was rife. The Revolution abolished it in 1790 and freed everyone jailed under it. Napoleon brought it back in 1806, and it was finally abolished in 1945.
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Cite this page
For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). France's hated salt tax lasted until 1945. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/gabelle-salt-tax
“France's hated salt tax lasted until 1945.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/gabelle-salt-tax. Accessed [today's date].
“France's hated salt tax lasted until 1945.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/gabelle-salt-tax.
Original sources
- Wikipedia. Gabelle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabelle