Colonias - History Lab

Britain’s trade with its West Indian colonies and Latin America (in thousands of pounds) in the 18th century

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:02 +0000

In the project of reconstructing Spanish foreign trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the avenues to be explored is that provided by the foreign trade series of those countries linked to Spain. In this sense, Spanish-British trade leads to the study of centre-periphery relations in Europe, before, during and after the British Industrial Revolution. During the 18th century, British trade with Spanish America was considered illegal by the Spanish authorities despite the fact that it was carried out through Spain (from 1717-1778) exclusively via Cadiz or previously via Seville or from the British West Indies and Brazil. Between 1713 and 1739, illegal trade also took place under the cover of the asiento de negros, as well as commercial contacts via the South Sea Company’s ship of leave. The search for markets outside Europe led Britain to turn its attention to Latin America, as features of Anglo-Spanish-American trade existed prior to the formal break between the Spanish colonies and the Spanish mainland. However, several reasons have been put forward that could explain the process of British substitution of trade with Latin America through Spain by direct traffic: the protectionist policy of Charles III may have had a dissuasive effect on British traders; the high opportunity cost represented in England at the end of the 18th century by the immobilisation of capital; the reduction in the cost of maritime transport from Britain to the West Indies or the establishment of free ports in 1766, whose purpose was to legitimise and promote trade between the British West Indies and the colonies of other countries, especially those of Spain. Until the beginning of direct traffic between the British Isles and Latin America in the early years of the 19th century, British exports to its West Indies colonies increased fivefold in twenty years, while imports tripled. Data for Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica and the Bahamas between 1788-1795 show an annual average of 486 ships carrying 16,252 long tons for imports from the Spanish colonies and 481 ships carrying 14,339 tons for exports.

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Contemporary estimates of re-exports of British goods to Spanish America via Spain during the 18th century (in thousands of pounds)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:02 +0000

In the project of reconstructing Spanish foreign trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, one of the avenues to be explored is that provided by the foreign trade series of those countries linked to Spain. In this sense, Spanish-British trade leads to the study of centre-periphery relations in Europe, before, during and after the English Industrial Revolution. From the point of view of this study, the transit trade of products from the Spanish colonies destined for Britain, or of British products for the Spanish-American markets, is of interest only insofar as it affects the balance of services, as profits obtained by Spaniards when transporting and trading these goods. In the case of exports to Britain, exports of national goods must be distinguished from re-exports of colonial products, as they were different goods. The available information disaggregated by product covers about 90% of the total value exported and, in order to obtain total figures for exports and re-exports. For imports, the situation is more complex, since re-exports are goods of the same type as those retained for domestic consumption. However, no contemporary estimate has been found for the late 18th century. An estimate for that period would allow us to test the hypothesis of a shift in British trade with Spanish America via the Peninsula during most of the seventeenth century. Spanish trade statistics for 1792 allow us to estimate the re-exports of foreign products to the American colonies.

The post Contemporary estimates of re-exports of British goods to Spanish America via Spain during the 18th century (in thousands of pounds) first appeared on History Lab.

Spanish-British trade, percentage of re-exports as a proportion of total imports in the 18th century

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:29:02 +0000

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Type of funds recorded as “particulares” on the quicksilver ships arriving in 1655 (maravedíes)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:57 +0000

The controversy surrounding the quantification of precious metals has always revolved around attempts to provide accurate figures for the stock of metals arriving in the fleets. However, the controversy is still open due to the impossibility of agreeing on the figures arrived for private individuals due to the increase in fraud during the 17th century. The interest in more rigorously specifying this type of figures is due to the fact that these funds contributed very directly to the financing of the Crown’s policy. It should be noted that, although precious metals were not the only source of credit for the monarchy, American remittances were attractive to large international bankers. These remittances have highlighted the limitations of official sources in providing real figures. Funds whose origin did not fit into any of the public concepts were recorded in the fleets as “particulares”. These items have been considered as the remittances of emigrants and the savings of passengers returning to Spain, although the majority came from Spanish trade with America – although this definition is only valid for the 16th century. Some of the merchants recorded the money obtained from selling their products and sent it to the Peninsula in fleets, but this became anachronistic from 1650 onwards when the pressure increased. Part of these funds belonged to the Royal Treasury, but in the case of private funds they were far from being the return of the profits from trade. This clarification raises two issues: the loss of the term “private” and the upward modification of the values given to the remittances sent to the Royal Treasury. Of the two fleets from New Spain that arrived in Cadiz in 1636, the king ordered 94% of the amounts to be added for different tax exchanges. In 1655, according to the summary reports, the Council made a series of corrections to the amounts registered on the azogues ships to obtain 26.6% of the arrival. Although this was insufficient, the king ordered further additions, placing 67% at the disposal of the Royal Treasury. The explanation for this variation lies in the funds of “particulares”. According to the Treasury Council, the amount of private money was 24,612,134 maravedíes, including the value of goods.

The post Type of funds recorded as “particulares” on the quicksilver ships arriving in 1655 (maravedíes) first appeared on History Lab.

Gonzalo Pizarro and the great encomendero rebellion

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:11 +0000

11-minute video analysing the figure of Gonzalo Pizarro (Trujillo, Spain, ca. 1510 – Cuzco, Viceroyalty of Peru, 10 April 1548) Spanish conquistador, younger paternal brother of Francisco Pizarro and one of the main actors in the conquest of Peru and the civil wars between the conquistadors. He led the great encomendero rebellion of 1544 against the Spanish crown in protest at the passing of the New Laws.

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Conquest and plunder

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:11 +0000

The documentary series The History of the World, “History as adventure, as drama, as destiny”, produced by the British channel BBC, shows with great realism some of the key events in world history, such as the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America, the atomic bomb or the death of Julius Caesar. Special attention has been paid to details such as clothing, city settings, etc. Specifically, chapter 5 deals with the conquest of the New World. Without doubt, the contact between the Spanish colonists and the natives of America and the repercussions of the gold plundering are depicted. Thus was born the extensive network of sea routes by which the English and Dutch controlled the world’s maritime trade in spices, furs and luxury goods such as tulips. Meanwhile, Europe was in the midst of terrible religious conflicts after the Protestant Reformation.

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Child vaccinators: the feat that brought the smallpox vaccine from Spain halfway around the world

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:06 +0000

Short 5.11 minute video produced by the Department of Microbiology of the University of Seville on the Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition that managed to bring the smallpox vaccine, transported by children, from Spain to different areas of America and Asia as part of the then Spanish empire. It was the first expedition of its kind in human history. The expedition, also known as the Balmis Expedition after the doctor from Alicante, Francisco Javier Balmis, who led it, took place between 1803 and 1806 under the auspices of King Charles IV with funds from the public treasury. In order to preserve the vaccine sample for the duration of the voyage, it was decided that it should be carried by children who were successively inoculated arm in arm during the course of the voyage. Thus, the protagonists of this story were 22 foundlings aged between 3 and 9 from the Foundling Homes in A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Madrid, all of them accompanied by Isabel Zendal Gómez, rector of the A Coruña home and mother of one of the children. With the aim of reaching the general public, the narration is particularly clear in its presentation, with visual resources very suitable for primary and secondary school pupils. In addition, this video aims to raise public awareness of the importance of vaccination, as well as to debunk the myth of ‘anti-vaccination’ and its lack of scientific rigour.

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The Balmis Expedition – RNE Documents

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:06 +0000

Audio documentary 55.45 minutes long, which deals with the Royal Philanthropic Smallpox Vaccine Expedition. Commonly known as the Balmis Expedition, it left the port of A Coruña on 30 November 1803 and lasted for three more years. The vaccine, developed by the Englishman Edward Jenner in 1796, proved to be an effective remedy to contain the spread of the virus. With the aim of eradicating the disease in the Empire and the overseas colonies, the Spanish monarchy, with Charles IV as king, sponsored this ambitious and pioneering scientific-medical project. At its head was Dr. Francisco Javier Balmis y Berenguer. The video provides a well-documented account of the expedition. Twenty-two foundlings and orphans travelled with the medical team, led by Isabel Zendal Gómez, the rector of the Casa de Expósitos in A Coruña. The children, aged between 3 and 9 years, carried the vaccine in their bodies and so would be preserved in good condition until their arrival in America. The method consisted of injecting the vaccine into one child and, when it matured, the pulp was extracted and inoculated into another; in this way, a chain was established that ensured the vaccine fluid. In Venezuela, the team split up: one group, led by Balmis himself, went to Cuba and Mexico, while the other, led by deputy director José Salvany, went to South America. The former reached the Philippines and returned to the Peninsula in 1806, while the latter died before their return. With a script by Elisabeth Norell, Documentos RNE rigorously exposes one of the main milestones in the history of medicine with the participation of prestigious historians and experts in public health and epidemiology.

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Isabel Zendal: the unsung heroine of the vaccine expedition

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:06 +0000

A 1 hour and 30 minute video in which, with the participation of different specialists and the contribution of period documents, the figure of Isabel Zendal Gómez is discussed in the context of the Royal Philanthropic Smallpox Vaccine Expedition. Commonly known as the Balmis Expedition, it left the port of A Coruña on 30 November 1803. With the aim of eradicating the disease in the Empire and the overseas colonies, the Spanish monarchy, with Charles IV as king, sponsored this ambitious and pioneering scientific and medical project. At its head was Dr Francisco Javier Balmis y Berenguer. Twenty-two foundlings and orphans travelled with the medical team, led by Isabel Zendal, the rector of the Casa de Expósitos in A Coruña. The children, aged between 3 and 9 years, carried the vaccine in their bodies and it was kept in good condition until their arrival in America. The method consisted of injecting the vaccine into one child and, when it matured, the pulp was extracted and inoculated into another; in this way, a chain was established that ensured the vaccine fluid. After the American phase, the expedition continued to the Philippines, also with 26 children. The World Health Organisation recognised Zendal as the first nurse in history on an international mission. Her professional activity in the philanthropic expedition lasted for the ten years it took to bring the smallpox vaccine to the Spanish overseas territories.

The post Isabel Zendal: the unsung heroine of the vaccine expedition first appeared on History Lab.

Isabel Zendal

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:06 +0000

2.12 minute video produced by the Mexican Society of Public Health on the figure of Isabel Zendal Gómez in the context of the Royal Philanthropic Smallpox Vaccine Expedition (1803). It is commonly known as the Balmis Expedition because it was led by Dr Francisco Javier Balmis y Berenguer. Twenty-two foundlings and orphans travelled with the medical team, led by Isabel Zendal, the rector of the Casa de Expósitos of the Hospital de la Caridad in A Coruña. They, aged between 3 and 9 years, were the ones who carried the vaccine in their bodies and so it could be preserved in good condition until its arrival in America. With the aim of being accessible to the general public, the narration is particularly clear in its presentation, with visual resources very suitable for primary and secondary school pupils. Isabel Zendal was recognised by the World Health Organisation as the first nurse in history on an international mission.

The post Isabel Zendal first appeared on History Lab.