The crisis of the mercantile elite of Lima and the banning on the commercialization of British products in 1780

Abstract

The control of the Peruvian trading, which traditionally had been managed by the mercantile élite of Lima, known as almaceneros or cargadores (shopkeepers or loaders) suffered a deep crisis in the last third of the 18th century as a consequence of the Bourbon reforms. In 1780, after the war annoncement between Spain and the United Kingdom, another fact was added to this unfavourable situation: a royal charter banning the importation of English products and fixing rules to control the marketing of British products introduced beforehand was promulgated. The Royal Consular Court, as a spokesman of the guild of merchants, requested the dismission of the main articles of the above mentioned royal decree. These claims were to be heeded and the highest authority of the viceroyalty was to submit to the interest of the mercantile élite, despite the fact this would brought him the dislike and discredit of the metropolitan authorities. This piece of work tries to  interpret the factors that forced Guirior to take this difficult decission.