Economía local - History Lab

Pasquines threatening the Governor of Cartagena over the price of bread (1766)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:33:11 +0000

The increase in prices in Cartagena in the middle of the 18th century provoked unrest among the population. Some people sent a letter to the Governor of the city asking him to reduce the price of foodstuffs, on pain of being “burnt and fried in boiling oil”. The document then continues with the news that the following day bread was sold for eight quarters, made of water and flour; there would be enough for everyone.

The post Pasquines threatening the Governor of Cartagena over the price of bread (1766) first appeared on History Lab.

General tariff of prices and positions of Madrid in 1795

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:14 +0000

In the Modern Age, a tariff could be understood as a monetary levy on passing through specific customs offices, or as the price at which goods were to be sold, and in our case, the general tariff referred to here refers to the latter concept. In our case, the general tariff referred to here refers to the latter concept. How many types of tariffs were there? There were two types of tariffs: specific, for each specific shop, and general, for each population centre. The latter served to establish a general framework of prices and positions of the shops in the locality. They were printed weekly and variations were noted in them. The products subject to this type of control ranged from vegetables, butter and meat to brooms. The marked prices could not be exceeded by the shops under their jurisdiction; otherwise, they were threatened with a penalty “in proportion to their excess”.

The post General tariff of prices and positions of Madrid in 1795 first appeared on History Lab.

Certificate of position with unfilled food prices. Toledo, 1760.

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:31:14 +0000

The Modern Age concept of tariff that we have here refers to the price at which goods are sold, not to the economic levy on them after passing through customs. The “cédulas de postura” were specific templates that sellers used to set the prices of the products they had for sale. This price was “prefixed” with a tariff that guaranteed the stability of the price range over long periods. This example of an unfilled cédula was placed in the shop or trading post in a visible manner. Each type of shop had its own ticket adapted to the goods on offer. It shows fruit products (pears, plums, peaches, etc.), spices (saffron, oregano, coriander, etc.) and products of animal origin and treatment (cheeses). Selling prices could not exceed those marked on the certificate, under penalty of being punished. Were all types of certificates and tariffs like this? Without prejudice to the example shown, there were several different models of documents depending on whether they were general (municipality level) or specific (shop).

The post Certificate of position with unfilled food prices. Toledo, 1760. first appeared on History Lab.

Consumer basket in Seville (1521-1603)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:40 +0000

The resource shows the evolution of an adult’s annual consumption of the basic products of the shopping basket in Seville between 1521 and 1603. Seville, the only port authorised to trade with America, was part of the general dynamics of the inflation processes that occurred between the mid-15th and early 16th centuries. As a result, access to foodstuffs could become more difficult and consumption could fall. Foodstuffs such as bread, chickpeas and cow products were the most commonly used. However, over time it was observed that the increase in bread intake reduced the consumption of meat and fish. On this occasion, the author explains the different consumption patterns by referring to the increase in the price of house rent between 1530 and 1555, which was 288% higher, and between 1555 and 1585, which was 205% more expensive; to the greater amount of money available and to changes in the relationship between supply and demand. Thus, with a lower purchasing power, and in general terms, the expensive calories, extracted from meat and fish, were replaced by cheap calories, such as bread, bacon, legumes and dried fruits.

The post Consumer basket in Seville (1521-1603) first appeared on History Lab.

Activities of French immigrants in Saragossa (17th-18th centuries)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:33 +0000

Immigration to Spain is not a current phenomenon. During the Ancien Régime, numerous people of other nationalities emigrated to Spain in search of new opportunities and social advancement. The specific case of this resource refers to the trades that the French settled in Saragossa in the 17th and 18th centuries. According to the marriage records, 104 French settlers were counted in Saragossa. Of these, 84 worked as “employees”; 16 as “self-employed”; and 4 in an unknown employment situation. Of the 84 contracted, 21 were bakers, a much higher number than any other trade, followed by 8 labourers, 6 weavers and 5 servants. But the high disposition in the baker’s trade was not accompanied by a promotion in this sector, as only 1 was a master baker. Finally, there may have been cases in which immigrants sought shortcuts to social advancement outside the law, as in the case of Juan Sarto, a Frenchman who forged documents from the University of Zaragoza and parish books to pass himself off as Aragonese.

The post Activities of French immigrants in Saragossa (17th-18th centuries) first appeared on History Lab.

Rice prices in Valencia, according to the mercantile correspondence of the delegates in the city of the Tuscan company of Francesco di Marco Datini (1393-1395)

ad_hlab_min — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 16:28:27 +0000

The Valencian rice product has enjoyed great international popularity. Its commercialisation was an important source of income for the fields of Valencia and surrounding areas, as well as for traders. The value of the product for the economy meant that special attention was paid to its commercialisation, establishing the supply routes to the Valencian centre, although not intervening in the regulation of prices. However, despite the general stability of food and industrial prices, and the aforementioned attention to supply, between 1395 and 1398 there was a downward trend in the price of rice. What could be the reasons for this? Variable demand, heavily influenced by the purchases of foreign merchants and a lack of political intervention caused the price of rice to fall in sueldos (Valencian modena) per load of rice. The causes also include the possibility of an abundant harvest that increased supply in the face of variable demand, causing prices to fall; likewise, marketing negotiations could have an influence (even more so among foreign merchants whose international destinations could be immersed in local crises). These dynamics were maintained at the dawn of modernity throughout the 15th century.

The post Rice prices in Valencia, according to the mercantile correspondence of the delegates in the city of the Tuscan company of Francesco di Marco Datini (1393-1395) first appeared on History Lab.