In the eighteenth century Genoese merchants thrived in the changing Atlantic market. Their trade and migration are explored here.The Republic of Genoa was once a major commercial power. Following the Republic's decline in the seventeenth century, Genoese merchants adapted and thrived in the changing Atlantic market. Scholars have examined how other foreign merchant groups operated within the Spanish empire, but until now no one has examined how the Genoese adapted to the challenges of increasing competition in Atlantic trade. Here, Catia Brilli explores how Genoese intermediaries maintained a strong presence in Spanish colonial trade by establishing themselves at the port of Cadiz with its monopoly over American trade, and through gradually consolidating strong commercial ties with the Río de la Plata. Situated at the intersection of European, Atlantic, and Latin American history and making extensive use of Spanish, Italian, and Argentinian sources, Genoese Trade and Migration in the Spanish Atlantic, 1700–1830 provides a unique perspective on eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century transatlantic trade.

Catia Brilli

Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 2016

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Cover -- Half-title -- Title page -- Copyright information -- Table of contents -- Acknowledgments -- List of abbreviations -- Weights and measures -- Monetary units -- Introduction -- A maritime nation in diaspora -- A chapter in Atlantic history -- Part I In the shadow of empire -- 1 Genoese migration to Cadiz: a persisting alliance -- An age-old symbiosis -- Genoa in the eighteenth century: political weakness and commercial dynamism -- Cadiz as capital of the Genoese diaspora -- A welcome migration -- Foreign competitors or useful vecinos? A thin borderline -- 2 Carving out a place in the Spanish colonial trade -- A web of relatives and countrymen -- In search of legal access to the Carrera de Indias -- A ''weak'' nation -- 3 Migration and investments toward colonial Buenos Aires -- The Río de la Plata as a new pole of the Spanish Atlantic -- Pedlars, shop-owners and traders on a commercial frontier -- Paths of integration and economic success -- Prospects for social advancement within local institutions -- The Genoese in Buenos Aires on the eve of independence -- Part II Transcending empire -- 4 The breakdown and reorientation of Genoese Atlantic trade -- The end of the Genoese Republic -- The decline of Cadiz -- War and conscription in Buenos Aires -- The opening of the Genoa-Buenos Aires route -- 5 Settling in independent Buenos Aires -- Spontaneous migration toward a growing economy -- Prospering along the river -- Traditional economic strategies in new spaces for social advancement -- Under the cover of the privileged merchant court -- Toward a new symbiosis -- Conclusion -- Appendix -- Notes -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- Chapter 5 -- Conclusion -- Archival sources -- Bibliography -- Index

The Republic of Genoa was once a major commercial power. Following the Republic's decline in the seventeenth century, Genoese merchants adapted and thrived in the changing Atlantic market. Scholars have examined how other foreign merchant groups operated within the Spanish empire, but until now no one has examined how the Genoese adapted to the challenges of increasing competition in Atlantic trade. Here, Catia Brilli explores how Genoese intermediaries maintained a strong presence in Spanish colonial trade by establishing themselves at the port of Cadiz with its monopoly over American trade, and through gradually consolidating strong commercial ties with the Rio de la Plata. Situated at the intersection of European, Atlantic, and Latin American history and making extensive use of Spanish, Italian, and Argentinian sources, Genoese Trade and Migration in the Spanish Atlantic, 1700-1830 provides a unique perspective on eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century transatlantic trade. -- Provided by Publisher

2023-11-26