The growth of Spanish trade through the American trade at the end of the 18th century played an important role in the beginnings of the Catalan cotton industry. Two of the main peninsular points of entry and re-export of the American goods were Barcelona and Cadiz, with the latter enclave assuming a predominant position between 1760 and 1770, as in 1790 the city of Cadiz took the lead until 1796. The details of the ports of origin of the cotton delivered later are listed in the approvals of the free trade regulations. In this sense, the extension of the Hispanic Monarchy provided the possibility of taking advantage of the resources of two civilisations where cotton was one of the dominant textile fibres. In the American space, within the supply zone, there were some important variations in terms of suppliers. Havana enjoyed a brief hegemony until the mid-1780s. However, this region for which there is little evidence of cotton growth on the island served primarily as an entrepôt for trade, a role strengthened during the American War of Independence in the late 18th century. Cotton was imported from the viceroyalty of La Plata at this early stage. In contrast, Vera Cruz and Cartagena were also important suppliers and from 1790 the ports of Callao and Guayaquil in the Viceroyalty of Peru became regular suppliers. In 1796 a shift eastwards in supply was evident as new points emerged such as Maracaibo, Cumaná, Nueva Guayana and Trinidad.
Collection: Statistics
Project: 2. Social and economic impact of technological revolutions in Europe., 9. Travels and travelers: economic, social and cultural connections.
Chronology: XVIII
Scope: Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, University
Resource type: Statistics
Format: Table
Source: Thomson, J. K. J., «The Spanish Trade in American Cotton: Atlantic Synergies in the Age of Enlightenment», Revista de Historia Económica, Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, 26, 2 (2008), pp. 277–314.
Language: English
Date: 2008
Owner: Álvaro Romero González (Modernalia)
Copyright: © J. K. J. Thomson, © Revista de Historia Económica
Abstract: Origin of cotton transported to Spain between 1781 and 1796
Image
Tags
