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Oceanic Commerce and Platine Merchants, 1796-1806: The Challenge of War

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Jerry W. Cooney
Jerry W. Cooney*
Affiliation:
University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
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Extract

The creation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776 by Charles III of Spain and his Edict of Free Commerce two years later brought unprecedented commercial prosperity to the port cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Unlimited trade was now allowed between this region of South America and Spain. Exports—mainly silver from Alto Perú and pastoral products from the pampas—flowed in ever greater volume to the Iberian Peninsula. In return, merchants of the estuary received from Spanish commercial houses European manufactures and luxury items. This trade which spanned the South Atlantic depended upon a complex web of credit and merchant associations between the Old World and the New, and also upon the unobstructed traffic of Spain's merchant marine. In the 1780s and early 1790s with the Empire at peace Platine commerce contributed to both government revenues and the growth of a dynamic immigrant merchant community recently arrived from northern Spain. By 1794 the booming trade of the new viceroyalty justified the creation of the Real Consulado de Buenos Aires, essentially an official merchants guild to regulate the business affairs of this region.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 45 , Issue 4 , April 1989 , pp. 509 - 524
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1989

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References

1 An excellent recent study on the increase of trade between Spain and the New World after the 1778 Edict of Free Commerce is Fisher, John, “The Imperial Response to ‘Free Trade’ : Spanish Imports from Spanish America, 1778–1796,” Journal of Latin American Studies. 17:1 (May, 1985), pp. 35–78,CrossRefGoogle Scholar passim. The Río de la Plata, of course, participated in this increase of commerce.

2 For the growth and activities of the merchant community in the Río de la Plata see Socolow, Susan Migden, The Merchants of Buenos Aires. 1778–1810: Family and Commerce (Cambridge, 1978),CrossRefGoogle Scholar passim.

3 Tjarks, Germán O.E., El Consulado de Buenos Aires y sus proyecciones en la historia del Río de la Plata (Buenos Aires, 1962), 1, pp. 29–57.Google Scholar

4 Lynch, John, Spanish Colonial Administration, 1782–1810. The Intendant System in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata (London, 1958), p. 143.Google Scholar Also see Urquijo, José M. Mariluz, El Virreinato del Río de la Plata en la época del marqués de Avilés (1799–1801) (Buenos Aires, 1964), pp. 127–128.Google Scholar

5 For instance, the merchant-immigrant from Spain, José de María, possessed several small coastal vessels but he, as did similar shippers, utilized them solely for the Brazil trade. de Labougle, Raúl, Don José de María (Buenos Aires, 1962), pp. 3–4.Google Scholar

6 “R.l Orn. Permitiendo en Buques nacionales o extrangeros desde Puertos de Potencias neutrales, o de España, expediciones de efectos no proividos, con retorno preciso a Puertos nuestros, según se egecutó en la Guerra del año de 1779,” Lorenzo, San, November 18, 1797 in Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Documentos para la historia argentina. Tomo VII. Comercio de Indias. Consulado. Comercio de negros y de Estranjeros (1791–1809) (Buenos Aires, 1915—), p. 134.Google Scholar Hereinafter this series will be cited as DHA.

7 Barbier, Jacques A., “Peninsula Finance and Colonial Trade: The Dilemma of Charles IV’s Spain,” Journal of Latin American Studies, 12:1 (May, 1980),CrossRefGoogle Scholar passim. For the impact of the neutral commerce upon the Río de la Plata see Sergio, Villalobos R., Comercio y contrabando en el Río de la Plata y Chile. 1700–1813 (Buenos Aires, 1971), pp. 80–90.Google Scholar

8 Good descriptions of this debate are found in Socolow, pp. 125–128, and Tjarks, I, pp. 301–319.

9 “Representación” of Tomás Antonio Romero to the Council of the Indies, Buenos Aires, March 20, 1802 in Archivo General de Indias (Sevilla). Audiencia de Buenos Aires, legajo 20. Hereinafter cited as AGI-B.A 20. Also Silva, Hernán Asdrúbal, “The United States and the River Plate: Inter-relations and Influences between two Revolutions,” in Tulchin, Joseph S., (ed.), Hemispheric Perspectives on the United States (Westport, Conn., 1978), pp. 25–28.Google Scholar The same author also has a good, recent study on the Hamburg trade to the Río de la Plata. Silva, Hernán Asdrúbal, “Hamburgo y el Río de la Plata: Vinculaciones económicas a fines de la época colonial,” Jahrbuch für Geschichte von Staat, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Lateinamerikas (Köln), Band 21, pp. 189–209.Google Scholar

10 Silva, , “United States and the River Plate,” p. 28 Google Scholar; and Fiscal José marqués de la Plata to Viceroy Joaquín del Pino, Buenos Aires, July 28, 1802 in AGI-BA 130.

11 The impact of physiocratic thought on Spain’s New World economic policies has yet to be studied in detail. It was also very influential among certain Platine merchant-thinkers such as Manuel Belgrano.

12 “R.l orden concediendo a Españoles y Estranjeros, …,” Lorenzo, San, November 24, 1791 in DHA. 7, p. 3.Google Scholar

13 “Real orden concediendo facilidades para el envió de Negros entre los puertos de Africa y América,” Aranjuez, , January 24, 1793 in DHA. 7, p. 13.Google Scholar

14 Francisco del Sar, Buenos Aires, August 1, 1800 in Archivo General de la Nación, Buenos Aires, 9–49–3–3 (Escribanías de Marina). Hereinafter cited as AGN 9–49–3–3 (EM). These little used notarial sources are a treasure trove for a historian interested in the maritime activities of Platine merchants just prior to the Independence Era. The three legajos of Escribanía de Marina 9–49–3–2, 3, and 4 contain for the 1790s and early 1800s such diverse material as ship purchases, deposit of goods in customs, transfers of monies, powers of attorney, and permits for navigation.

15 “Cuadro XV. Buques negreros llegados al Río de la Plata desde 1742 hasta 1806,” in de Studer, Elena F.S., La trata de negros en el Río de la Plata durante el siglo XVIII (Buenos Aires, 1958),Google Scholar unpaginated tables. This work is the best upon the slave trade to the Río de la Plata in the colonial period.

16 “Real orden. Comunicando al Consulado la propuesta del Conde de Liniers …”?, March 4, 1795 in DHA, VII, pp. 89–90.

17 Manuel de Aguirre, Buenos Aires, October 8, 1796 in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM).

18 “El virrey comunica la real orden de 23 de Agosto de 1796 …,” Buenos Aires, December 28, 1796 in DHA, VII. pp. 120–121. One shipowner applied for permission to sail to the Peninsula in 1796 but the advent of war with Great Britain prevented any further departures from the Río de la Plata to Spain until 1798. See Francisco de Paula Maior, Buenos Aires, November 5, 1796, and Juan Parreda, Buenos Aires, April 18, 1798 both in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM). Also “R. 1 Orn. Concediendo permiso p.a el trafico de frutos de la Habana y B.os Ar.s entre estas dos Provincias, libertando de dros, a las Annas y Carnes,” Lorenzo, San, October 8, 1796 in DHA. 7, p. 118.Google Scholar

19 “R.l ordn. Permitiendo en Buques nacionales o extrangeros …,” Lorenzo, San, November 18, 1797 in DHA. 7, pp. 134–135.Google Scholar

20 Cooney, Jerry W., “Paraguayan Astilleros and the Platine Merchant Marine, 1796–1806,” The Historian, 43:1 (November, 1980), pp. 55–74,CrossRefGoogle Scholar passim.

21 “Memoria del Virrey Nicolás de Arrendondo,” Buenos Aires, March 16, 1795 in Radaelli, Sigfrido A., (ed.), Memorias de los Virreyes del Río de la Plata (Buenos Aires, 1945), pp. 392–394 Google Scholar; and Galmarini, Hugo Raúl, “Comercio y burocracia colonial: A propósito de Tomás Antonio Romero,” Investigaciones y Ensayos (Buenos Aires), 29 (julio-deciembre, 1980), pp. 387–407.Google Scholar

22 Pedro Duval, Buenos Aires, July 8, 1796 in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM).

23 Pedro Duval, Buenos Aires, November 15 and December 10, 1796 in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM).

24 Cooney, Jerry W., “Neutral Vessels and Platine Slavers: Building a Viceregal Merchant Marine,” Journal of Latin American Studies (London), 18:1 (May, 1986), pp. 30–31.Google Scholar Also see Cooney, , “Paraguayan Astilleros,” pp. 69–71.Google Scholar

25 Administrador de la Aduana de Buenos Aires José Proyet to Viceroy Joaquín del Pino, August 13, 1803 in Sergio, Villalobos R., “Notas históricas y geográficas: Dos informes sobre el comercio en el virreinato de Buenos Aires,” Revista Chilena de Historia y Geográfia, No. 130 (1962), pp. 366–370.Google Scholar

26 Tanner, Earl C, “South American Ports in the Foreign Commerce of Providence, 1800–1803,” Rhode Island History, 16:3 (July, 1957), p. 68 Google Scholar; and Galmarini, p. 398.

27 “Memoria del virrey marqués de Avilés,” Buenos Aires, May 21, 1801 in Radaelli, , pp. 513–515.Google Scholar

28 Villalobos, R., Comercio y contrabando, p. 73.Google Scholar

29 Francisco del Sar, Buenos Aires, August 1, 1800 in AGN 9–49–3–3 (EM). After 1803, in response to pressure from the government less specie was shipped (or at least declared) to Africa and a greater attempt was made to barter Platine goods for slaves.

30 “Cuadro XVI. Negros introducidos al Río de la Plata … (1742–1806),” and “Cuadro XV. Buques negreros llegados al Río de la Plata …,” both in Studer, , respectively pp. 324–326 Google Scholar and unpaginated.

31 Barnwell, P.J., and Toussaint, A., A Short History of Mauritius (London, 1949), pp. 94–107.Google Scholar

32 Cooney, Jerry W., “Silver, Slaves, and Food: The Río de la Plata and the Indian Ocean, 1796–1806,” Tijdschrift voor Zeegeschiedenis (Rotterdam), Jaargang 5, 1986, no. 1, pp. 35–45.Google Scholar

33 Labougle, pp. 9–10.

34 Mariluz Urquijo, pp. 130–131 and 138–139; and “Prorrogando por 2 años el permiso concedido p.a introducir negros …,” Aranjuez April 12, 1798 in DHA, VII, pp. 145–146.

35 José de María, Buenos Aires, December 24, 1800 in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM); and “Real Cédula prorrogando por 12 años el comercio de negros,” Aranjuez, , April 22, 1804 in AGN, Documentos referentes a la Guerra de Independencia y emancipación política … (Buenos Aires, 1914), 1, pp. 315–316.Google Scholar

36 Pedro Duval, Buenos Aires. April 9,1800., and Felipe Vidal, Buenos Aires, May 6, 1800 both in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM).

37 Lastarria, Miguel, Colonias orientales del Río Paraguay o de la Plata in DHA. 3, pp. 303–310 Google Scholar and Villalobos, R., Comercio y contrabando, pp. 70–79.Google Scholar

38 Sometimes, however, it went beyond neutral middlemen when British ships masquerading as North American supposedly were employed in the Platine trade and porteño merchants communicated directly with their British associates. Later in the British invasions of Buenos Aires certain members of the Consulado collaborated too much with the enemy. Villalobos, R., Comercio y contrabando, pp. 70–87 Google Scholar; and Mariluz Urquijo, p. 133.

39 Tomás de Belaústegui, Buenos Aires, May 10, 1799 in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM); and Viceroy Avilés to Ministro de Hacienda Miguel Cayetano Soler, Buenos Aires, June 5, 1799 in AGI-BA 126.

40 Villalobos, R., Comercio y contrabando, pp. 104–105 Google Scholar; and Casimiro Francisco Necochea to Teniente de Resguardo, Buenos Aires, July 4, 1800 in AGN 9–1–3–2 (Marina 1757–1809).

41 “Ynstrucción para alegar las causas justas.…,” 1799 (?) in DHA, VII, pp. 174–178; and Silva, , “United States and the River Plate,” pp. 25 Google Scholar and 28.

42 Kroeber, Clifton B., The Growth of the Shipping Industry in the Río de la Plata Region, 1794–1860 (Madison, Wis., 1957), pp. 75–80 Google Scholar; and Casimiro Francisco Necochea to Real Consulado de Buenos Aires, September 6, 1799, and Captain Narcisco de Iranzuaga to Necochea, Buenos Aires, September 14, 1799 both in AGN 9–4–7–6 (Consulado de Buenos Aires, Expedientes, 1800–1802).

43 “Eì Tridente de neptuno es el cetro del mundo.—Discurso inaugural de la Academia de Naútica, pronunciado por su director Pedro Antonio Cervño,” Buenos Aires, November 25, 1799 in Moreno, Nicolás Besio, Las fundaciones matemáticas de Belgrano (Buenos Aires, 1920,, pp. 159–173.Google Scholar

44 Montero, Homero Martí, Significación marítima de Montevideo en los siglos XVIII y XIX (Montevideo, 1956), p. 24.Google Scholar For a contemporary porteño publisher’s promotion of Ensenada de Barragán see de Lavardén, Manuel José, Nuevo aspecto de comercio en el Río de la Plata (Estudio preliminar y notas por Enrique Wedovy) (Buenos Aires, 1955), Pp. 131–166.Google Scholar

45 “R.l Ord. Derogando en todas partes la R.l Orn de 18 de Nov.e de 1797 y qualquiera permisos q.e en gral o particular se hayan concedido …,” Aranjuez, April 20, 1799 in DHA. VII, pp. 157–159.

46 For the confusion of policy surrounding the neutral trade in 1801–1802 see “R.O. que concede permiso para la condución de efectos de lícito comercio en buques neutrales,” Madrid (?) September 16, 1801., “R.l Orn. Proiviendo el comercio con neutrales,” Lorenzo, San, December 4, 1801 Google Scholar; and “Permiso del Rey para comerciar en buques neutrales &,” (1802) all in DHA. VII, respectively pp. 192–193, 199–200, and 207–208.’

47 “Salida de Barcos del puerto de Montevideo,” September 7, 1803; October 22, 1803; November 10, 1803; November 14, 1803; January 12, 1804.; August 4, 1804; and August 9, 1804 all in Semanario de Agricultura, Industria y Comercio: Reimpresión facsmiliar publicada por la Junta de Historia y Numismática Americana. Tomo II. 1803–1804 (Buenos Aires, 1928), II, pp. 16, 71, 95, 168 and 400.

48 D. Antonio Groso, Buenos Aires, January 3, 1799 in AGN 9–49–3–2 (EM); Silva, , “United States and the River Plate,” pp. 26–28,Google Scholar and Lavardén, p. 132.

49 Pedro Duval, Buenos Aires, March 14, 1803 in AGN 9-49-3-3 (EM); Pedro Duval, Buenos Aires, June 4, 1804 in AGN 9–49–3–4 (EM). Julián del Molino Torres, Buenos Aires, October 4, 1804 in AGN 9–49–3–4 (EM). Hamburg was also a northern European destination. Joseph Román Baudrix, Buenos Aires, July 11, 1803 and Tomás Antonio Romero. Buenos Aires, July 5, 1804 both in AGN 9–49–3–4 (EM).

50 “Real Orden del 18 de diciembre contra la recomendación de Tomás Antonio Romero …,” Madrid, December 18, 1801 in Tjarks. II, p. 926; and Viceroy Pino to Ministro de Hacienda Soler, Buenos Aires, August 18, 1804 in AGI-BA 128.

51 Viceroy Pino to Ministro de Hacienda Soler, Buenos Aires, December 28, 1803 in AGI-BA 132.

52 Galmarini, 29, pp. 412–416. Ironically the British captured the Mariana on the high seas when the war began.

53 Wedovy, Enrique, La evolución económica rioplatense afines del siglo XVIII y principios del siglo XIX a la luz de la historia del seguro (Buenos Aires, 1967), pp. 209–228.Google Scholar

54 “El Tridente de Neptuno … Pedro Antonia Cerviño,” Buenos Aires November 25, 1799 in Besio Moreno, p. 164.

55 “Memoria de Don Manuel Belgrano …,” Buenos Aires, February of 1806 in Semanario de Agricultura. Industria y Comercio. IV, p. 217.

56 Tjarks, II, pp. 827–837.

57 “EI S.or Principe de la Paz. Ratificando la Orn … declarada la guerra con Inglaterra; …,” Madrid, November 23, 1804 in DHA. VII pp. 302–303, and Mitre, Bartolomé, Historia de Belgrano y de la Independencia argentina (Buenos Aires, 1876), 1, pp. 143–144.Google Scholar

58 Juan Bautista Gianini. Buenos Aires. September 3, 1805; José de Riva, Buenos Aires, October 10, 1805; and Juan de Alagón, Buenos Aires, October 10, 1805 all in AGN 9–49–3–4 (EM).

59 Gerónimo Villanueba, Buenos Aires, February 25, 1805 and José Ramón Baudrix, Buenos Aires, July 19, 1805 both in AGN 9–49–3–4 (EM).

60 “R.I Orden. Aprobando la disposición de conceder permisos para similar con Vandera Neutral …,” Ildefonso, Sa, August 29, 1806 in DHA. 7, p. 352 Google Scholar; and González, Julio César, “La ‘portuguización’ de los navios en el Río de la Plata (1805–1806),” Revista Histórica (Montevideo), 77:51 (1952), pp. 393–416.Google Scholar

61 “Cabildo del 25 de Setiembre de 1806,” Buenos Aires, in Archivo de la República Argentina, Antecedentes políticos, económicos y administrativos de la Revolución de Mayo de 1810 (Buenos Aires, 1924), I, p. 9. William White, in particular, was one of the unscrupulous North American merchants who actively aided the British.

62 A good survey of this British mercantile invasion is found in Halperín-Donghi, Tulio, Politics, Economic, and Society in Argentina in the Revolutionary Period (Cambridge, 1975), pp. 82–89.Google Scholar The Robertson brothers left us an interesting account of their commercial career in the revolutionary Río de la Plata, J.P., and Robertson, W.P., Letters on South America: Comprising Travels on the Banks of the Paraná and Río de la Plata (London, 1843).Google Scholar three volumes, passim.

63 Socolow, p. 177.

64 Liss, Peggy K., Atlantic Empires: The Network of Trade and Revolution, 1713–1826 (Baltimore, 1983),Google Scholar passim.