Colonial commerce and bourbon reformism: from recovery to collapse of the commercial imperial system

Abstract

The Bourbon reformism pretends, according to the theory of colonial pact, to turn the Indias into an instrument for the economical reconstruction of the metropolis. This aim is recommended by the economists, and the politicians try to put it into practice. The result should be a slow and qualitative change of the structure of exportations and an impulse of the spanish industry. After analysing the information obtained, we conclude that Spain was not able to reduce the role of the colonies to mere producers of raw material and consumers of peninsular manufactures. On the contrary, Spain continued to be dependent on the most developed economies of west Europe to supply its colonies, because the expected answer from the national industry never arrived. National industry was neither prepared to compete with foreign industry nor with creole industry.