A Silver River in a Silver World
Dutch Trade in the Rio de la Plata, 1648–1678

Illuminates Dutch participation in Latin-American colonial trade while revising the standard historical argument of illegal 'contraband' trading and 'corrupt' officials.

David Freeman (Author)

9781108417495, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 April 2020

238 pages, 2 maps
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.8 cm, 0.47 kg

'… his excellent archival work and the use of multilingual sources, David Freeman reveals an internal contradiction to his overall picture in this regard.' Gilberto Guerra Pedrosa, Rechtsgeschichte - Legal History

Drawing on a wide and rich array of sources, this book explores the nature and extent of Dutch trade and commerce in the Río de la Plata during three decades of the least-studied century (1650–1750) of Spain's rule in the Americas. In doing so, it raises important questions about trade in colonial South America and how it was impacted by the Dutch, suggesting that these transactions were carried out within the confines of the law, contradicting common beliefs among scholars that this trading was not regulated. The book contributes to a growing literature on contraband trade, administration, networks, and corruption while challenging narratives of exclusively Spanish influence on the Americas.

Introduction
1. The silver world
2. The silver river
3. Golden connections: governors, networks, and contracts
4. Dutch ships and Dutch men on the Río de la Plata
5. Conflicting ownership
6. Silver tongues
7. Silver politics on the estuary
8. The Silver River runs dry.

Subject Areas: History of the Americas [HBJK]