18th century merchant networks
Landlocked European territories and their connection to maritime long-distance trade is an area of research that is of recent interest. Most particularly, it is the integration of continental European regions into global exchange, such as the Habsburg Monarchy and its trade with Spain in the 18th century. The EU-funded project MERCHANT NETWORKS (Trade between Spain and the Habsburg Monarchy (1725-1815): Merchant networks in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic) examined the relevance of maritime trade networks for the Habsburg Monarchy. The work explored how the connections between different merchant groups, the impact of family relations and the links with state institutions are considered explanatory factors of business performance and trans-regional entanglement. Focus was placed on the merchants who mediated Spanish-Habsburg trade at four port cities: Cádiz, Barcelona, Livorno and Trieste. The time span in the study starts with the end of the Treaty of Vienna in 1725 and ends with the termination of the Napoleonic Wars. Methodological, biographic, business and fiscal data derived from various sources was collected and four main research issues were addressed. These include merchant, trans-imperial and transnational networks, as well as connections between merchants and state institutions and the inner economy. Further information and references to published results of the project can be found on the project’s website. Findings will contribute to research on the subject of merchant trade.
Keywords
Bilateral trade, economic development, merchant networks, Habsburg Monarchy, maritime trade, Mediterranean, Spanish Atlantic, 18th century
