Global market, colonial economies and trade corporations: The consulates at guadalajara and buenos aires

This paper seeks to examine the global organization of two Spanish American colonial spaces during the era of free trade: the Hispanic North and Rio de la Plata. By studying the consular records on foreign trade, included in the derecho de averia records, I analyse how their economies were integrated into the circulation of silver, slaves, and imports. Moreover, I explain the institutional development of their trade communities, favored by the body of consulates in the cities of Guadalajara and Buenos Aires, viewed as institutional instruments of corporate negotiation, market administration, and interest organization against a backdrop of trade globalization.