Cacao - History Lab

Manifesto on the benefits produced by the establishment of the Royal Gipuzkoa Company of Caracas

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:58 +0000

In 1728, a group of merchants from San Sebastian founded the Royal Guipuzcoa Company of Caracas with the aim of providing the province with a privileged commercial circuit. Thanks to a royal concession, the Company had a monopoly on the cocoa trade, suppressing piracy and smuggling in that part of the Caribbean. This foundation broke the monopoly of cities such as Seville and Cadiz, although competition, falling prices and Venezuelan opposition led to the search for commercial alternatives for a company that was suffering the consequences. Finally, in 1778, the Compañía Guipuzcoana de Caracas merged with that of the Philippines.

The post Manifesto on the benefits produced by the establishment of the Royal Gipuzkoa Company of Caracas first appeared on History Lab.

Manifesto that proves with countless facts the great benefits that the establishment of the Royal Guipuzcoan Company of Caracas has produced

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:32:37 +0000

Manifesto that with countless facts proves the great benefits that the establishment of the Royal Guipuzcoan Company of Caracas has produced, and qualifies how important its preservation is to the State, to the Royal Treasury, to the public good, and to the true interests of the Province of Caracas itself.

The post Manifesto that proves with countless facts the great benefits that the establishment of the Royal Guipuzcoan Company of Caracas has produced first appeared on History Lab.

Presence of chocolatiers in Burgos households during the 18th century

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:20 +0000

During the 18th century, the consumption of chocolate was increasingly present in the material culture and in the diet of a large part of the population, and chocolate was found in Castilian households on a regular basis, but it did not reach everyone equally. According to the professions and income levels, chocolate could be found to a greater or lesser extent in homes, as we will see below.
As far as the presence of chocolate makers is concerned, a steady increase can be seen in 18th century Burgos households, which points to a growing consumption of this product with the tools to prepare it already in place in the homes. It is not just a question of the mere ingestion of chocolate, but of trends that affect the material culture of the eighteenth century in a contrasting way.
The use of chocolate pots and their introduction and enjoyment in the different social classes shows great contrasts, with the most privileged showing a clear fever for eating chocolate – reaching 100% of households – while the humblest families, with fewer possibilities of acquiring foods considered exotic, did so in a more sustained way. Clergymen were the most likely to incorporate these foods into their diet, rising from 60% of households between 1700 and 1730 to no less than 94.7% by the end of the century.

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