Genoese Trade and Migration in the Spanish Atlantic, 1700–1830

In the eighteenth century Genoese merchants thrived in the changing Atlantic market. Their trade and migration are explored here.

Catia Brilli (Author)

9781107132924, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 April 2016

357 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.65 kg

The Republic of Genoa was once a major commercial power. Following the Republic's decline in the seventeenth century, Genoese merchants adapted and thrived in the changing Atlantic market. Scholars have examined how other foreign merchant groups operated within the Spanish empire, but until now no one has examined how the Genoese adapted to the challenges of increasing competition in Atlantic trade. Here, Catia Brilli explores how Genoese intermediaries maintained a strong presence in Spanish colonial trade by establishing themselves at the port of Cadiz with its monopoly over American trade, and through gradually consolidating strong commercial ties with the Río de la Plata. Situated at the intersection of European, Atlantic, and Latin American history and making extensive use of Spanish, Italian, and Argentinian sources, Genoese Trade and Migration in the Spanish Atlantic, 1700–1830 provides a unique perspective on eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century transatlantic trade.

Introduction
Part I. In the Shadow of Empire: 1. Genoese migration to Cadiz: a persisting alliance
2. Carving out a place in Spanish colonial trade
3. Migration and investments towards colonial Buenos Aires
Part II. Transcending Empire: 4. Collapse and reorientation of Genoese Atlantic trade
5. Settling in independent Buenos Aires
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], International trade [KCLT], Migration, immigration & emigration [JFFN], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK], European history [HBJD]