New England–Rio de la Plata Connections: Trans-imperial Networks in the Age of Atlantic Revolutions

In the last decades of the 18^th century, the Spanish empire experienced a series of crises that, among other processes, led to a significant increase in trade with foreigners, namely British, Portuguese and United States merchants. Historians have already examined the scope and scale of British and Portuguese commercial presence in Rio de la Plata; US-American trade, however, has not yet received scholarly attention. The number of US-American ships in Rio de la Plata was similar to the number of British ships. Although Portuguese ships were more numerous, US-American merchant ships had a much larger tonnage and conducted multi-lateral trade while en-route to and for Rio de la Plata, often stopping in different ports of call in order to trade along the way. This paper examines the commercial networks connecting New England to Rio de la Plata in the last decades of the 18th century. By analyzing the operations of specific merchants, their partnerships, and social and political participation, both in New England and in Rio de la Plata, this paper sheds light on the strategies, logistics, legal and political implications of trans-imperial trade in the Age of Revolution. Based on ship manifests, notary records, newspapers, and merchants’ correspondence, this paper argues that in the last decades of colonial rule, Rio de la Plata – New England commercial interactions were not only significant in terms of volume of trade, but most importantly, played a significant role in shaping the economies, trade and political institutions in both regions of the Atlantic World.