Prices of Goods in the Wild Borderlands of Colonial Rio de la Plata Region: Santa Fe During the First Half of the XVIII Century

Abstract

Price history of colonial Río de la Plata region, despite valuable contributions, has still major shortcomings. Among them, is the lack of series for minor cities and borderland areas. This article presents and analyzes the evolution of prices in Santa Fe city during the first half of the XVIII Century, a period full of Indian attacks. We study the long-run trends in prices, and the impact of war on the local economy. Besides, some comparisons have been done with the extant price series from other neighboring cities. Conclusions show that, in the long run, warfare did not bring major problems, but it did in particular moments.